LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS SHANGHAI 2016: Glenn Lurie, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility, outlined his vision of the characteristics of a next-generation operator, noting that when it comes to mobility, “our customers have a whole different set of expectations”.

“To be a next-generation provider, you have to have the vision, you have to understand the trends. You have to invest in the right assets, you have to be bold and courageous to make those investments.”

“And you have to be able to deliver a simple, integrated solution for your customers. The key focus here is bringing it all together, so that we give our customers something that truly makes life better,” the US executive said.

Outlining the trends affecting the industry, Lurie called out video, with the number of users watching on devices globally set to double to two billion by 2021; continued growth in mobile data; and IoT.

Secondly, he said that operators “need to have the assets to deliver on the experiences our customers expect”. Stating that AT&T had spent $140 billion on networks in the last five years – “more than any other carrier in the US” – he said focus areas have been virtualisation, “taking our networks from hardware to software”, and of course spectrum.

Lurie also noted the company’s investments in Mexico have created a 400 million population footprint in North America; investments in innovation, for example through six innovation centres across the globe and a studio focusing on connected cars; and its acquisition of DirecTV, which bolstered its media presence.

Finally, Lurie continued, “we must be able to deliver a truly integrated solution to our customers”.

“This is about integration around the car, integration around the home, integration around our work, and arguably most importantly, integration around our cities,” he said.