“The Fourth Industrial Revolution can be a critical driver for achieving the vision of an entrepreneurial, innovative and inclusive Latin America”. This was the slogan of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Latin America, held from 5 to 7 April in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where representatives from the global mobile ecosystem discussed how the development of ICTs and mobile technology is crucial for Latin America’s social and economic development.
Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, was one of the key figures at WEF Latin America, where he took part in the Internet for All in Argentina launch, an initiative that aims to promote digital inclusion in the country. “Argentina has enormous growth potential – we can see this from the dramatic uptake of 4G services, which launched in 2014 and have reached 13 million connections today. Mobile networks will be the platform for more Argentine internet companies, app developers, new IoT ventures and exciting new services. Having a predictable and transparent spectrum policy and a reasonable level of taxation will be crucial to further stimulate this growth,” Mr Granryd said.
The press conference for the launch of the initiative was also attended by Oscar Aguad, Minister of Communications of Argentina, Andrés Ibarra, Minister of Modernisation of Argentina, and Yuhyun Park, Founder of DQ Institute. “Internet for All in Argentina is a positive signal of the willingness of the public and private sectors to work together to deliver the connectivity and services that can improve people’s lives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” the GSMA Director General added.
Agreement with ENACOM to tackle handset theft in Argentina
Before the launch of the initiative at the World Economic Forum, the second meeting of the Internet for All Working Group was held in Argentina on 4 and 5 April at the Buenos Aires City Government Headquarters. During the event a new phase of the We Care Argentina campaign was launched to step up the fight against handset theft.
Through a a new agreement between the National Communications Agency (ENACOM) of Argentina and the GSMA, ENACOM will authorise local police, public prosecutors and other government organisations to access the GSMA IMEI database of stolen handsets. The agreement will allow authorities to verify the country of origin of handsets reported as stolen, giving them another tool to fight cross-border criminal organisations trafficking in stolen handsets.
The We Care campaign is the vehicle through which mobile operators in Latin America contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in each country by promoting the use of mobile technology to help society.
Official opening of GSMA regional office in Buenos Aires
“Argentina has enormous talent and creativity that should be channelled into innovation in the new economy. We believe in this potential, and that’s why we’re opening our regional office for Latin America in Buenos Aires,” Mats Granryd said at the opening of the GSMA’s new regional office in Argentina.
The inauguration of the new office of GSMA Latin America in Buenos Aires, held on Tuesday, 4 April, was attended by key executives from regional mobile operators and Argentine authorities, including Héctor Huici, Secretary of ICT, and Andrés Tahta, Executive Vice President of the Argentine Investment and Trade Promotion Agency.
