By Chris Donkin
GSMA chief heralds era of exploration
The mobile industry has the opportunity to lead transformation in a new era of virtual worlds, GSMA Director General Mats Granryd said, as he illustrated the potential for new business models for consumers, enterprises and whole countries.
In yesterday’s opening keynote, the executive enthused there was a “new excitement in the air” in the sector citing the potential of emerging innovations such as Web 3.0, the metaverse and intelligent connectivity adding “anything is possible with imagination”.
Granryd said he believed the industry was at the beginning of a new era of exploration, but indicated bravery was needed to shape this next phase.
“Those that dare can lead the way… build new business models… [and] go where no one has been before,” he added. “To some, this may sound like an almost impossible task in an uncertain and polarised world, but look around you. Since that first GSM call in 1991, our industry has achieved something previously unimagined.”
Pointing to achievements across the mobile sector to reach a statistic of connecting almost 70 per cent of the global population, he described the industry as being comprised of “pioneers, explorers, rule breakers and society makers”.
“We have already transformed the way the world operates and now I believe that we have the chance to do it all again. To be the great explorers of the next era, discovering new virtual worlds and uncovering new opportunities that will bring us and future generations even closer.”
