On 28 February – 3 March, the GSMA welcomed the connectivity industry back to Barcelona to the biggest tech gathering since the start of the pandemic. More than 60,000 attendees convened in-person from around the world to discuss the convergence of mobile, the potential of the metaverse and transforming vertical industries.
The GSMA strongly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ongoing war provided a sobering backdrop for the show. However, industry leaders were united in the response and spoke against the aggression. “The most pressing issue is clearly the war in Ukraine. It adds to the world facing political, economic, social and environmental turmoil all at the same time. We are all going to have to dig very deep to overcome these challenges. As an industry it is our obligation to do our part and through our technology we clearly have a lot to offer.”
New Tech Order
In the opening of MWC22, Mats Granryd, GSMA Director General, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO of Telefónica and GSMA Chairman, Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone, Allison Kirkby, President & CEO of Telia Company, and other global CEOs presented their visions for tech leadership. Among other points discussed, industry leaders asked authorities to release a timely and affordably priced spectrum to stimulate rapid and sustainable growth of 5G.
European Parliament Delegation visit MWC22
The European Parliament delegation travelled to Barcelona to visit MWC22. The European Internet Forum and GSMA Europe designed a special programme of activities. This included a roundtable discussion with experts, access to the Ministerial Programme, and a tour of selected top exhibition stands for a hands-on experience of cutting-edge technology devices.
BEREC-GSMA Roundtable
At the Ministerial Programme, BEREC and GSMA held their annual regulatory roundtable focusing on focusing on the European internet value chain, very high capacity networks, sustainability and the Digital Decade targets.
An MWC22 exhibition tour was also organized for the BEREC delegation as part of their visit. Annemarie Spikes, BEREC Chair 2022, also spoke in the “Ask the Regulator” session of the Ministerial Programme.
European Commission Presents Connectivity Vision
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton addressed the Ministerial Programme session on “Digital Policies to speed the post-COVID recovery”. EU Commissioner highlighted that combining public and private resources with investment-friendly regulatory frameworks is key to allow Europe to build the required level of infrastructure and technology capacities for the data economy.
During MWC22, the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), and the European Commission, organized a launch event “On the Road to 6G”, during which thought leaders from governments, industry, academia and civil society discussed the strategy and tools needed to develop technology capacities for 6G systems as a basis for future digital services towards 2030.
Spain wins the GSMA Government Leadership Award
GSMA’s John Giusti, presented the Award to Nadia Calvino, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy and Digitalization, Spain, for the country’s bold steps to expand the digital economy.
Latest GSMA Reports and Publications
Repeat the MWC22 Experience
MWC22 Barcelona is over, but you can continue to explore endless content of the show available to you only one click away.
Following a successful MWC22 Barcelona, the GSMA is working hard to deliver the full MWC series in 2022. The next event, MWC Shanghai, will take place from 29th June-1st July, followed by the inaugural MWC Las Vegas from 28th-30th September and rounded off by MWC Africa from 25-27th October – which will return in person to Kigali for the first time since 2019.