GSMA THRIVE CHINA 2020: Mats Granryd, director general at the GSMA (pictured), opened the organisation’s first online event by emphasising the world’s increased dependence on mobile technology in 2020, which he believes will go down in the history books as the year when everything changed.

Granryd centred the opening keynote around the theme of change, stating some were unexpected, such as the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, while others were imagined by visionaries, who then plan, shape and build the world around them.

He explained it was latter which meant the mobile industry was able to react to the recent health crisis in the way that it did.

“The mobile industry has done just that…over time and with both determination and conscience, it has invested in the infrastructure and the networks that have allowed the world to look at us and depend on us this year like never before”.

“This pandemic has highlighted to the world what we have all known for decades, the true relevance of robust and resilient mobile networks.”

Underlining changes the world has undergone in recent months, Granryd opened up on GSMA Thrive, the Association’s new online platform designed to help the industry adapt to “a new way of living and doing business”, while overcoming the challenges of physical distancing.

At MWC Shanghai 2019, “I delivered my keynote to a packed auditorium. Not one person in that room would have imagined that I was going to speak to you virtually this year, but here I am.”

“I am physically in London and speaking to you on GSMA Thrive, our new platform that brings the mobile industry and ecosystem together to connect, to shape our future and to continue to change the world.”

APAC developments
With GSMA Thrive China set to give centre stage to leaders from Asia-Pacific, Granryd also highlighted some of the major developments from the region.

He said the digital ecosystem had been vital to responding to Covid-19, while 5G continued to gather pace, with commercial launches in nine markets and 12 more to follow.

“All in all, there will be 1.1 billion 5G connections by 2025, which is 23 per cent [of] total connections across APAC.”

The future
Finally, Granryd issued a rallying cry both to the industry and governments around the world, urging for both digital advancement and inclusion so “all citizens are informed, leaving no-one behind”.

Following recent protests globally, Granryd added the world “must never tolerate racism, hatred and social injustice”.

“Now the whole world depends on the mobile industry, to continue shaping and building change, with determination and conscience and propelling digital advancement for a better future,” he concluded.