Monday, 11:45 – 12:30

In just over 17 years, the mobile money industry has grown from a niche market offering to a mainstream financial service, transforming the lives of over 1 billion people and driving financial inclusion. The session will center on assessing various instant payment models, exploring market-led (bilateral) and centralised strategies (National/regional switches). A key part of the discussion will involve dissecting the far-reaching implications of instant payments on the digital finance ecosystem. The debate will focus on identifying best practices, tailored to serve commercial interests, promote social impact, and align with government objectives, with a special emphasis on the transformative potential for small and micro-businesses: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4379-mobile-money-instant-payments

Monday, 16:00 – 16:30

One of the cornerstones of digital inclusion efforts in emerging economies is device affordability. Despite the continued uptake of mobile internet, a significant portion of the population remains unconnected, of which a lack of affordable devices is an important reason. Various interventions like device financing partnerships and local manufacturing have been initiated, yet affordability remains a major barrier. The session aims to explore the willingness and ability of consumers in emerging economies to invest in smart devices, bring together multiple stakeholders to discuss practical ways to reduce internet-enabled handset costs and ensure that the digital transformation is inclusive and does not aggravate existing inequalities:  https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4384-addressing-device-affordability

Monday, 16:00 – 16:45

Data fuels the digital economy and, in recent years, many countries have enacted laws and set rules governing data capture, use and management. But as innovation strides ahead, governments and authorities face new challenges and additional complexity. This session takes a broad look at the policy implications of the evolving data landscape, including differences in data protection law, new regulatory authorities, AI, children’s data and the ongoing challenge of data localisation rules in a ‘borderless’ digital economy: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4385-are-data-laws-keeping-pace-with-the-digital-ecosystem

Monday, All Day

Visit our team on the GSMA Pavilion (Hall 4, 4F30), to find out more about amazing projects we have supported in collaboration with our partners, across various sectors.

Wednesday, 11:45 – 12:30

Utilities are changing dramatically to both deal with new energy sources and improve their relationship with customers. The introduction of smart grids, smart meters, and new ways of generating and transporting energy are being driven by the IoT. Smart water and electricity monitoring can help save money by giving people more control over their home utilities, while efficient refuse management will help to keep cities cleaner. Explore the latest smart city solutions that will deliver real, long-term benefits to businesses and citizens: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4392-powering-smart-cities-with-ai-and-iot

Wednesday, 11:45 – 13:00

This year’s session on Digital Inclusion explores ways to unlock the tremendous socio-economic opportunities of achieving digital equality for all. For example, recent GSMA research shows that closing the gender gap in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 would deliver an estimated $230 billion in additional revenue to the mobile industry. With the growth rate of mobile internet adoption slowing down, this session will discuss practical solutions by mobile operators, policymakers, and other stakeholders that help reverse this trend and ensure all people and businesses can benefit from mobile connectivity. Through a balanced blend of research and pragmatic solutions, the session will showcase digital inclusion as not just a challenge but as an untapped potential for resilience and economic growth: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4390-unlocking-opportunity-through-digital-inclusion

Wednesday, 14:30 – 15:45

With 95% of the world’s population covered by a mobile network and 5.4 billion unique mobile subscribers globally, mobile plays a life-saving role in the dissemination of early warning alerts. The mobile industry has longstanding experience in the development and implementation of early warning systems, and plays a key role alongside governments and humanitarian agencies in delivering targeted and accessible information to crisis affected communities.

This session will demonstrate partnerships in action that are contributing to the UN Secretary General’s ambition for everyone in the world to be protected by an early warning system by 2027, fulfilling the principles of the GSMA’s Humanitarian Connectivity Charter that strengthens the industry’s role in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4393-early-warning-systems-the-power-of-partnership

Wednesday, 17:00 – 19:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be transformative for socioeconomic development and climate action in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where innovative approaches are most needed to bridge inequalities. To be responsive to local needs, AI must be able to leverage local data and rely on widely available and reliable infrastructure. The successful development and adoption of AI also hinge on the availability of specialised AI skills within the tech ecosystem and the population’s digital skills and literacy. This session with AI innovators and funders will offer an overview of emerging AI solutions that address development challenges in LMICs. We will look to answer the question on how to build partnerships for viable and scalable solutions: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/sessions/4514-mobile-for-development-seminar-ensuring-people-centred-and-inclusive-ai-for-sustainable-development

Wednesday, All Day

Visit our team on the GSMA Pavilion (Hall 4, 4F30), to find out more about amazing projects we have supported in collaboration with our partners, across various sectors.