At the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, which took place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland on 20-23 January, global leaders and policymakers gathered to share opinions and ideas on how best to prepare for the future. One of the main topics of discussion was the “fourth industrial revolution”, and how such change will bring benefits to society, as well as shape global governance.
The GSMA’s Director General, Mats Granryd, and Chief Regulatory Officer, John Giusti, took part in the discussions on ICT policies.
In his article, What role will mobile play in the future of the internet?, published on the WEF website, Mats Granryd highlights the crucial role of mobile networks in the evolving digital ecosystem, making a contribution of US$3 trillion to global GDP in 2014. Although he sees opportunities for further development given that four billion people are yet to be connected, Mats Granryd believes the main challenge for network operators is to strengthen collaboration with other industries to increase connectivity.
Meanwhile, John Giusti contributed an article, The future of digital finance lies in our mobile phones, underlining the importance of having a robust digital financial ecosystem, that can positively transform the consumer experience of financial services.
To continue the Davos conversation, the GSMA and the WEF are jointly organising a roundtable in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress. Entitled Mastering Digital Policy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the roundtable will give policymakers the opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue and exchange ideas.