GSMA THRIVE LATIN AMERICA: Pietro Labriola, CEO of TIM Brasil (pictured), predicted network sharing would become increasingly important as operators in the country develop the foundations of 5G connectivity to enable new use cases.

Labriola explained sharing fibre and tower assets would be key to delivering coverage in Brazil due to the country’s size, particularly in areas with the lowest return on investment potential.

In addition to collaborating with peers, Labriola said operators will need to partner companies in other verticals to develop novel use cases, noting many services will likely be delivered using a B2B2C model.

He argued cooperation on both fronts “will be a key element for the success of this new technological wave”.

The CEO flagged agriculture, healthcare and education as early areas of interest, but added 5G will enable use cases and business models which cannot yet be imagined, likening it to the mobile “revolution” prompted by the introduction of Apple’s App Store.

“We have to build the infrastructure as fast as possible to create this basic element” to serve as the foundation for new services and applications, he said.