London: Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement as the GSMA, Cable Europe, ECTA and ETNO today call for harmonised data protection policies for the benefit of innovation and consumers in Europe:

“In the early 1990’s, European policy makers developed specific privacy rules for telecommunications services.  This action, taken before public access to the Internet was widespread, addressed specific concerns about the privacy risks of new services being delivered over traditional telecommunications networks. However, the situation today is very different and consumers now access a vast array of services over the Internet.  These new services, such as “messaging” and “search”, are delivered by a wide range of online companies, based around the world, and are made possible by the ‘open’ and global nature of the Internet.

“The impact of the Internet’s growth in the last two decades has been profound and it is now time to rethink the way user privacy is protected.  It no longer makes sense to have specific regulation focussed on telecommunications infrastructure, as was first conceived.  Instead, policy and regulation should focus on addressing the specific privacy risks faced by individual users, irrespective of the way a service is delivered.  Privacy regulation fit for the 21st century should be technology and service-provider neutral.  The current situation is a legacy of the pre-Internet era and has created market distortions, with different privacy rules and consumer rights applying to the same services, simply because they are delivered by different technologies and/or different types of company.  This is bad for consumer confidence and could undermine the market’s development.

“Recent GSMA research has shown that users also believe the same rules should apply to any party using their data.  Policy makers should therefore move quickly to establish a level playing field.”

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media contacts:
For the GSMA:
William Parker-Jenkins (Brussels)
32 (0) 490 443 977
williamparker@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Pilots Leading to Commercial Implementations Planned with Several Operators During 2013

Chicago: The GSMA and i3forum today announced that they have launched a deployment initiative to accelerate the take up of IP eXchange (IPX) based interconnect through live commercial pilots for voice traffic. Use of IPX creates the future pathway for interoperable voice services based on IP networks, such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE), and also provides an alternative to today’s current best-effort IP interworking. Mobile and fixed operators including Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, TeliaSonera and Vodafone will be conducting pilots of voice over IPX this year.

“As we move to an all-IP world, customers will continue to demand high quality and high reliability for their voice services,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “By providing global interoperability, this initiative will help to drive the widespread deployment of services such as VoLTE, with the same quality of service that consumers have come to expect.”

“Working together, i3forum carrier members have developed for the benefit of the carrier industry a solid base of IPX implementation guidelines and best practices,” said Philippe Millet, Chairman of the i3forum. “By partnering with the GSMA, we can share that knowledge with the mobile industry to quickly deploy IPX interconnects to scale, delivering enhanced quality and reliability for existing and new IP communication services.”

An already standardised interconnection solution from GSMA and i3forum, called IPX, is to be used to provide a global, private, secure IP network that supports end-to-end quality of service. IPX is an interconnect platform that is offered by a variety of carriers on a competitive basis but with common agreed technical specifications and using consistent commercial models.

IPX delivers an end-to-end managed network solution that offers openness, focuses on quality and provides an extremely efficient multi-service connectivity regime, with the principle of one contract and one single network interface providing many connections and multi-service end-to-end relationships. For all stakeholders, this means they can be confident that the IPX’s commercial and technical benefits will be delivered in a way that minimises investment and maximises business opportunities.

The pilots will pave the way for the technical and commercial agreements necessary to use IPX to interconnect any voice services. The key end result of these pilots will be the effective migration of live voice traffic to IP-based interconnect or using IPX as the interconnect for new voice services, therefore providing a major stepping stone towards interoperable communications services such as VoLTE and RCS.

The initiative will also foster more IPX offerings from carriers and encourage IPX providers to expand their footprint and establish more interconnections with network operators. The greater the number of IPX interconnections that exist, the greater the number of IP-based services that will interconnect in the future, offering better choice for consumers.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com.

About the i3forum
The i3forum brings together the communications expertise of more than 49 telecommunication providers, representing a combined retail base of over 1.5 billion customers across more than 100 countries.  The goal of the i3forum is to develop collaborative recommendations for an industry-wide transition of voice and related services to Internet Protocol (IP). The forum’s unified effort to expedite global IP-based voice implementation supports widespread access to innovative and high-quality IP-based services and applications.  Please go to www.i3forum.org.  

Media Contacts

For the GSMA:
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44 (0)7810 050 576
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

For the i3forum:
Isabelle Turcotte
Communications Chairman, i3forum
isabelle.turcotte@tatacommunications.com

GSMA Also Announces New Event Features, Exhibitors, Sponsors and Speakers

London: The GSMA today announced the NFC Experience at Mobile Asia Expo, an interactive experience through which exhibitors, vendors and attendees will be able to use mobile Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to exchange information and conduct transactions. Additionally, the GSMA announced several new keynote speakers for the Mobile Asia Expo conference programme, as well as new exhibitors and sponsors participating across key programmes at the event. Mobile Asia Expo will take place 26-28 June at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC) in Shanghai.

“We’re excited to launch the NFC Experience for Mobile Asia Expo, as it provides attendees the opportunity to experience first-hand the power of NFC technology throughout the Mobile Asia Expo venue, as well as in the Pudong area of Shanghai,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “We hope that all attendees will take advantage of the many benefits of NFC, from information access and download to retail transactions, among others.”

A Mobile Asia Expo First – the NFC Experience
As part of the first NFC Experience at Mobile Asia Expo, the GSMA will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services. Attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to utilise NFC technology at locations throughout the SNIEC and the adjacent Kerry Hotel. The NFC Experience features:

• NFC Centre – Anchored by the NFC Lounge, this dedicated area located in the heart of exhibition will showcase NFC-enabled handsets, as well as a number of NFC-based services from players across the ecosystem;
• NFC Experience Zones – More than a dozen NFC Experience Zones will be strategically placed around the Expo, enabling attendees with NFC handsets to download information and maps, test out NFC vending machines, interact with smart posters and join in an NFC treasure hunt throughout the Expo;
• MAE NFC University Challenge – In this essay competition, university students from around the region are invited to outline their visions for the future of NFC and how it can solve everyday problems; and
• NFC-Enabled Retail Zone – Attendees can use NFC handsets to receive discount offers and purchase products in the nearby shopping mall.

China Mobile is the NFC Experience Official Operator Partner for Mobile Asia Expo. For more information on the NFC Experience, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/nfc-experience/.

New Mobile Asia Expo Keynotes
The following CEOs and senior executives from companies across the mobile ecosystem have been confirmed for the keynote programme at Mobile Asia Expo, including:

• Rajeev Singh-Molares, President – Asia Pacific, Alcatel-Lucent
• Manoj Kohli, MD and CEO (International), Bharti Airtel
• Jinwoo So, President and CEO, SK Planet
• Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO, Telenor Group
• David Thodey, CEO, Telstra

These executives join previously announced Mobile Asia Expo keynote speakers:

• Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Suk-Chae Lee, Chairman and CEO, KT Corp.
• Kaoru Kato, President and CEO, NTT DOCOMO
• Hakam Kanafani, Group CEO, Turk Telekom

For more information on the Mobile Asia Expo keynotes, as well as the full conference programme, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/conference.

New Additions to Mobile Asia Expo Exhibition
The Mobile Asia Expo exhibition will include more than 200 companies across the broad mobile ecosystem, as well as from adjacent industries. The three Chinese mobile network operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, will showcase their services and solutions on the exhibition floor, along with other newly confirmed exhibitors including Accenture, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, Chunghwa Telecom, RaceLogic, Rohde & Schwarz, Shanghai Feixun Communication Co., Sony Mobile Communications and Telecom Italia Sparkle. For a full list of exhibitors, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/expo-overview/.

New Developments in App Planet
App Planet presents a unique opportunity for attendees to explore the many dimensions of the ever-changing and critically important mobile apps market. Companies including Aptoide, Mobile Systems Inc. and Pandit Holdings have signed on to exhibit in the App Zone, while the GSMA will hold an application developer conference as part of App Planet on Wednesday, 26th June. For more information, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/app-planet.

Updates for the Innovation Labs
The GSMA announced new companies presenting in the Innovation Labs, an open stage located on the Mobile Asia Expo exhibition, where companies can highlight products, technologies and services, as well as strategies to meet the needs of the mobile ecosystem. Companies currently scheduled to present Innovation Lab sessions include Canonical, comScore, DTS and McAfee. FingerQ is the Platinum Sponsor for the Innovation Lab in Hall N1. For more information, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/innovation-labs/.

IBM Sponsors Connected Living Asia SummitI
BM is the Sponsor for the Connected Living Asia Summit, a three-day, open industry event that will explore the latest developments in and future direction of the M2M and Connected Experiences market, with a particular focus on Asia. The Connected Living Summit will take place 24-26 June, and will also feature the Smart Cities Forum. For more information, visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/connected-living/.

Trade Hub: Facilitating and Streamlining Business
Mobile Asia Expo again offers business attendees the Trade Hub, an online deal-making platform that brings together solutions providers with senior decision makers from mobile operators, facilitating engagement and potential partnership discussions. Through the Trade Hub, sponsoring companies enter criteria to identify possible business partners and opportunities and the system then matches them with appropriate buyers, all of whom have been pre-qualified by the GSMA. Sponsors for the Trade Hub include comScore, IBM, Oracle and SAP. For more information on participating in the Trade Hub, please contact tradehubconcierge@mobileasiaexpo.com.

Mobile Asia Expo Registration Is Now Open
Registration to attend Mobile Asia Expo is now open online and individuals wishing to attend the conference programme or visit the exhibition can access information on the different pass types and pricing at http://www.mobileasiaexpo.com/registration/.

For more information on Mobile Asia Expo 2013, including details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, please visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
Charlie Meredith-Hardy (UK)
+44 207 067 0647
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com

Palmer Wang (Beijing)
+86 10 8569 9946 
pwang@webershandwick.com

Ava Lau (Hong Kong)
+852 2533 9928
alau@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

GSMA Publishes First Comprehensive Survey of Latin American Consumer Attitudes to Mobile Privacy

Bogota, Colombia: The GSMA today announced research exploring the impact of privacy concerns on the adoption of mobile apps and services in Latin America. The study of 4,500 mobile users across Brazil, Colombia and Mexico shows that a lack of trust in how personal data is collected and shared is acting as a barrier to the widespread take-up of mobile apps in Latin America, a market that globally is worth US$29 billion and growing at 36 per cent per annum¹.

Risk to Market Growth
The study shows that consumers want better privacy safeguards to be put in place and believe that mobile operators are the natural guardians of their privacy on mobile devices:

• Eighty-eight per cent of mobile app users are concerned that apps might collect personal information without their consent;
• Half of those consumers with concerns would limit their use of apps unless better safeguards are put in place; and
• Sixty per cent of respondents would turn to their mobile operator if they suffered a serious invasion of privacy while using an app, regardless of who was responsible. Whereas only 31 per cent would turn to their app store and 34 per cent would go direct to the app developer.

Without taking action to protect consumer privacy, Latin America risks falling behind other parts of the world in the adoption of new mobile services. Mobile operators recognise the need to work closely with governments and wider industry to address these issues. They are calling on policymakers to increase their level of engagement with the mobile ecosystem as new consumer protection laws are being drafted.

“It’s not the case that legislators can simply cut and paste old-world data protection rules into the modern mobile apps market,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer at the GSMA. “They need to consider solutions that reflect the new market realities, such as the privacy icons currently being developed in the USA², which will provide consumers with simple ways to understand their privacy choices and control their data.”

Concerns over Location Based Services
The survey also highlights consumer concerns regarding location data. 92 per cent of respondents want to be asked permission to share their location with a service or an app. However, 47 per cent of the most popular apps transmit the phone’s unique device identity to other companies without users’ awareness or consent³. A further 74 per cent of those using location services regularly are concerned that their location was being shared with third parties without their permission.

Unless these services are provided directly by mobile operators, these concerns can be very real due to the fact that different laws and regulations apply. Mobile operators have tight restrictions on the use of location information, whereas services provided by internet companies have no such restrictions.

“The rules regarding location privacy need to apply equally to all the different players who offer such services. Today this lack of consistency is putting consumers’ data at risk,” continued Phillips. “In markets across Latin America, new privacy laws are being developed. The GSMA calls on governments to ensure that all new legislation applies equally to all industry players.”

The research was conducted by Futuresight Ltd. on behalf of GSMA. It builds on previous studies in Spain, UK and Singapore and the GSMA’s ongoing work to help establish industry guidelines and approaches that address consumer concerns on mobile privacy and foster confidence and trust for mobile users.

To see the full survey results from across Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, visit: www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/mobile-and-privacy/resources

-ENDS-

Translations
Spanish
Portugese

Notes to Editors
¹Source: Strategy Analytics, 2012

²Find out more at the App Trust Project (http://apptrustproject.com) and other initiatives under the National Telecommunications Informational Administration’s mobile app transparency programme: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2013/privacy-multistakeholder-process-mobile-application-transparency

³Source: Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704694004576020083703574602.html

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA:
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 207 0670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

New Sponsors, Partners and Supporters of the GSMA mHealth Grand Tour Will Help Raise Awareness of Diabetes and the Need for mDiabetes Solutions

London: The GSMA today announced that a number of new organisations, including ANT+, Orange, Team Blood Glucose (TeamBG) and Team Novo Nordisk, will take part in the GSMA mHealth Grand Tour cycle ride in September 2013. Through the collaboration of all sponsors, partners and supporters, the mHealth Grand Tour will bring together the mobile and healthcare industries, as well as the diabetes community, to raise awareness of diabetes and promote the development and delivery of mHealth solutions.

“It is encouraging to see such strong involvement from leading companies in technology and healthcare, as well as the cycling community, to raise awareness of how mobile can help improve the lives of people with diabetes,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “We encourage as many riders and organisations as possible to take part in the tour. Together we can work to deliver innovative products and services that address the immense challenges of managing, and importantly, preventing diabetes.”

In Europe alone, there are 55 million people living with diabetes and it is one of the largest causes of death across the region. Mobile technology can support diabetes treatment and prevention by increasing the reach and accessibility of healthcare services, cutting the cost of care and reducing the impact of the illness on people’s lives.

Riders from Team Novo Nordisk’s development team, all of whom are living with type 1 diabetes, will participate in the 2,100 kilometre mHealth Grand Tour, which starts in Brussels on 5th September 2013 and finishes in Barcelona on 18th September 2013. In addition, Orange will be the official connectivity partner for the ride, providing innovative services that will capture, store and securely share patient health records during the ride, spanning five European markets. ANT+ will be the official technology partner and use its ultra-low power wireless technology to provide rider performance data and enable biometric statistics to be captured and shared via ANT+ partner devices and ANT+ enabled smartphones.  

TeamBG, a not-for-profit social enterprise that aims to inspire people with diabetes to achieve their sports and exercise goals, will enter up to 12 riders to promote healthy lifestyles and physical activity. During the Tour, TeamBG will be involved in trialling various mDiabetes products, including meter test kits for blood glucose management.

These organisations will join the GSMA and the International Diabetes Federation European Region (IDF Europe) in helping to raise awareness of diabetes care, prevention and research. New supporters of the Grand Tour include the Catalan Diabetes Association, Continua Health Alliance, Diabetes Croatia, Diabetes Germany, the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), Medtech Alliance, The King’s Fund and TicSalut Foundation, among others. Participating riders will also receive expert support from organisations and individuals such as Carmichael Training Systems, Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison and Michael Trenell, Professor of Movement and Metabolism at Newcastle University.

“This event is pivotal in showcasing real, end-to-end mHealth solutions that will greatly improve people’s lives,” stated Rod Morris, VP, ANT Wireless. “The convergence of sport and health monitoring is here today. This ride is about creating options for the entire diabetes community long-term and ANT+ is proud to be a part of such a key industry collaboration.”

“Orange is committed to developing interoperable ICT-based healthcare solutions that will improve the quality of life of individuals with chronic illnesses by enabling the automatic flow of data from the patient to their care provider,” said Thierry Zylberberg, Director of Orange Healthcare.  “We are very proud to support the GSMA mHealth Grand Tour as it is an excellent initiative that will raise awareness around the challenges that diabetes patients face on a daily basis. It also provides a great platform to promote the benefits of mobile health ICT solutions for the monitoring and management of illnesses.”

“As the only all-amateur patient team, TeamBG is proud to be partnering with the IDF Europe and the GSMA to demonstrate the value and benefits of mHealth solutions and the positive effects they have on the lives of ordinary people with diabetes,” said Paul Buchanan, Founder and CEO of TeamBG.

“We are really excited the Development Team will take part in such a great event for the diabetes community,” said Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of Team Novo Nordisk. “When diagnosed with diabetes many people think that it means they won’t be able to live a normal life and realise their dreams. As an all-diabetes sports team, Team Novo Nordisk shows that, with good blood glucose control, anything is possible and the mHealth Grand Tour is an excellent opportunity to educate, empower and inspire more people.”

The GSMA mHealth Grand Tour is open to individual participants, teams, sponsors and supporters wishing to help raise awareness for diabetes and showcase innovative mHealth solutions. For more information, please visit www.mhealthtour.com or email enquiries@mhealthtour.com.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com.

GSMA Media Contact
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44 (0)7810 050 576
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Telecom Personal Mobile Users in Argentina Will Be Able to Report Unsolicited Messages by Typing ‘7726’ or ‘SPAM’

15 April 2013, Buenos Aires: The GSMA today announced that Argentinean mobile operator Telecom Personal has launched the GSMA Spam Reporting Service, powered by Cloudmark, a system that will help it to proactively address messaging threats to its mobile network. As the first mobile network operator in Latin America to adopt the GSMA Spam Reporting Service, Telecom Personal and its customers will benefit from collaborative, real-time global insight into threats against mobile networks and subscribers.

With more than 19 million mobile users in Argentina, Telecom Personal observed mobile spam from senders and sought to protect its subscribers from abusive traffic. As an active GSMA member, Telecom Personal saw an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by being the first Latin American mobile network operator to roll out the GSMA Spam Reporting Service. The GSMA Spam Reporting Service is the industry standard for gaining actionable intelligence on mobile network traffic. It provides mobile operators with the insight that they need to detect SMS spam, terminate originating numbers and develop preventative policies and procedures to protect their networks and subscribers.

“As consumers have made mobile devices an integral part of their everyday lives, attackers are increasingly turning their attention to mobile networks and as such, operators are committed to protecting consumers from this global mobile pandemic,” said Sebastian Cabello, Director of GSMA Latin America. “By joining this initiative, Telecom Personal becomes an active participant in the Spam Reporting Service, ensuring that spammers and fraudsters will find it even more difficult to target mobile subscribers in Latin America.”

The GSMA SRS collects spam data from subscribers who forward the unwanted messages using a shortcode such as ‘7726’ or ‘SPAM’. The messages are aggregated, analyzed and incorporated into spam “fingerprints” by the system. These fingerprints give operators important details about origination, size, intent and growth pattern of the attack. All participating mobile network operators can share attack information with each other to ensure an attack detected on one network can be quickly isolated and prevented on others. 

“When consumers receive unwanted messages, regardless of the source, they look to their mobile operator to address the problem, and we wanted to be proactive in protecting our subscribers,” said Ignacio Nores, Marketing Director of Telecom Personal. “With the GSMA Spam Reporting Service, we benefit from collaboration, both from our reporting subscribers and from other participating operators worldwide. With this information, we can better understand abusive traffic and eliminate the inconvenience and annoyance of unsolicited messages for our customers.”

New Visibility into Mobile Messaging Threats
Telecom Personal customers are responding to the opportunity to join the fight against spam through the GSMA Spam Reporting Service service. Over the last 30 days alone, the operator has received nearly 10,000 reported messages from approximately 4,500 unique reporters. The reports have provided Telecom Personal with new visibility into the messaging use and in particular, threats on its network:

• Telecom Personal users send more than 192 million SMS daily;
• There has been a significant increase in unsolicited automobile messages, with 1,600 unique senders detected as sending automobile spam; and
• 99.9 per cent of spam reported by Telecom Personal users originated within Argentina.

“Through their adoption of the GSMA Spam Reporting Service, mobile network operators like Telecom Personal are empowering their users in the fight against spam, and contributing to the protection of mobile subscribers worldwide,” added Cabello.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

About Telecom Personal
Telecom Personal is the largest mobile communication company in Argentina with more than 19 million customers. "Each person is a world" is the concept that leverages its business strategy and promotes diversity as a universal value. Telecom Personal provides flexible services and offerings that contribute to enhance the mobile connectivity experience for each client, integrating into each one’s lifestyle.

Telecom Personal has operated since 1996, and its shareholder is Telecom Argentina S.A. For more information: www.personal.com.ar.

About the GSMA 
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:
For the GSMA:
Tatiana Cantoni (Brazil)
+55 (11) 9535 1983
taticantoni@pimenta.com
GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Currently 11 Billion USD is Languishing Unused in Universal Service Funds, With 4.1 Billion USD Sitting in India’s Fund Alone

New Delhi: Following extensive research, the GSMA today called for governments and regulators to reassess their approach to Universal Service Fund (USF) levies. In a new report issued today, the GSMA concludes that most funds are not succeeding in delivering their stated goal of widening access to telecommunication services and that alternative market-based solutions are more effective.

The report estimates that more than one-third of the 64 funds surveyed have yet to disburse any of the contributions they have collected and that more than 11 billion USD remains undisbursed, money that could otherwise be used to extend rural coverage or lower the cost of mobile ownership. In India, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) continues to impose approximately a five per cent levy on operator revenues, despite the fact that is contains over 4 billion USD of accumulated funds. India is not alone as regards the collection of substantial amounts of money from the mobile industry, for example in Cote D’Ivoire and Paraguay, the USF represents in excess of 0.6 per cent of the countries’ GDP.

“Our research shows that, despite the fact that there is an ever-increasing amount of money sitting unused in these funds, governments continue to collect still more from the mobile operators. The situation needs urgent government review and attention, as the money collected to date far exceeds the amount that is needed to ensure universal access,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory and Government Affairs Officer, GSMA. “The reality is that these funds have become a convenient form of taxation on the telecommunications industry and in the majority of cases, they should be closed down and the balance of monies held used to extend access to mobile services to those unable to afford them, or those groups that live in particularly remote areas.”

Key findings of the research:

• Out of the 64 funds surveyed, less than an eighth of them are achieving their targets;
• Funds are not always allocated in a competitively and technologically neutral way;
• There is no evidence that Universal Service Funds are an effective way to achieve universal service goals and in fact they may be counter-productive, as taxing commercial investors in such a way makes rural investments less likely; and
• Alternative solutions, for example private/public partnerships such as those established in Finland, have been able to deliver better and more effective outcomes.

Of all the funds surveyed globally, Colombia offers an outstanding example of best practice in the administration of USFs. The Colombian authorities have recently restructured the USF approach to reduce the burden placed on operators. They have structured it to be financially autonomous, and money for projects is granted in a highly transparent manner via a public bidding process open to all interested parties. The research reinforces the fact that market-based solutions have shown themselves to be the most effective way in bridging the ‘digital divide’.

The liberalisation of markets, private sector investment and mobile operator innovation has opened up telecommunications services to a significant proportion of the global population. With the number of mobile subscribers standing at 3.2 billion, nearly half of the people in the world now use mobile communications¹. It is expected that a further 700 million subscribers will be added by 2017 and the 4 billion-subscriber milestone will be reached in 2018.

Phillips concluded, “The GSMA calls on individual governments to implement an immediate moratorium on the collection of more money for universal service funds and to launch a re-think of their future role.”

The report can be found at: www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/tax/research-and-resources.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
¹Mobile subscriber penetration stands at 45 per cent globally, while mobile connection penetration is currently 94 per cent. The variance between the number of mobile subscribers and the number of mobile connections is related to multiple SIM ownership as well as inactive SIMs. GSMA Wireless Intelligence.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com
GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

New GSMA Events Provide Greater Focus on Regional Industry Issues

London: The GSMA today announced that it is expanding its events portfolio with the launch of the GSMA Mobile 360 Series, a new regional conference series for executives in the mobile industry, as well as key regulatory and government representatives. The new thought leadership conferences will complement those that are run as part of larger GSMA events such as the Mobile World Congress, Mobile Asia Expo and NFC & Mobile Money Summit and will explore key mobile industry trends and issues on a regional basis. In 2013, the GSMA will host Mobile 360 Series conferences in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

“Mobile has completely changed how nearly half of the world’s population communicates and accesses life-enhancing services and information, and it’s also transforming many industries, such as automotive, education, healthcare, finance and utilities,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “However, deployment and use of mobile varies from region to region and players across the mobile landscape face unique opportunities and challenges based on their specific market dynamics. With events held around the world, the Mobile 360 Series will bring together the growing mobile ecosystem to address the most pressing regional topics and issues.”

The GSMA has confirmed the dates and locations for the Europe and Middle East Mobile 360 Series events. Mobile 360 Series-Europe will be held 5 September in Brussels. The Mobile 360 Series-Middle East conference will be held 21-22 October and will be co-located with GITEX at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ooredoo, a leading mobile operator group with more than 90 million customers across the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia, has signed on as a Gold Sponsor for Mobile 360 Series-Middle East.

“Drawing more than 25,000 C-level executives, GITEX is widely recognised as the leading ICT event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region,” continued O’Hara. “In establishing this collaboration with GITEX, we will work together to build upon their considerable success and provide an even greater mobile focus to attendees at GITEX Technology Week.”

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre, said: "As the global mobile industry experiences exponential growth in ground-breaking innovations, interconnectivity and infrastructure, we are very pleased that the GSMA, which produces the industry-leading Mobile World Congress, is bringing its new Mobile 360 Series conference to GITEX Technology Week in Dubai. The strategic convergence of these two mega brands in Dubai will offer the global technology community the invaluable creative opportunity to access one of the most sought after emerging markets in the world.”

Further information, including specific dates and locations for the Mobile 360 Series conference in Latin America will be forthcoming. For information on the Mobile 360 Series, including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.mobile360series.com.

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:
Abigail Faylor (London)
+44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

£4.1million DFID Grant to Support Programme to Improve Energy and Water Services in the Developing World

London: The GSMA today announced the launch of the Mobile Enabled Community Services (MECS) programme, which leverages mobile technology and infrastructure to help improve access to basic energy and water services in underserved communities. The new programme is supported by a £4.1million grant from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), which works to alleviate global poverty by delivering UK aid around the world.

Currently 1.3 billion people, nearly 20 per cent of the world’s population, are without access to energy¹ and 783 million people, 10 per cent of world’s population, do not have access to ‘improved’ water resources². This gap is due to challenges such as last mile distribution, operation and maintenance capabilities and costs, and payment ability and collection. MECS will facilitate access to affordable and reliable energy and clean water, which is vital for health and wellbeing and can also help reduce poverty and drive economic growth.

“More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related causes according to the WHO,” said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Mobile for Development. “Mobile penetration in the developing world has risen exponentially in the last decade; for instance, in Africa, we estimate that mobile will reach 76 per cent of the population by 2014³. Through mobile technology, we will be able to support and improve the provision and maintenance of energy and water services, providing a critical resource to underserved communities.”

The DFID grant will back a two-year programme within MECS, which will be implemented by the GSMA’s Mobile for Development division, to support the creation of new, innovative mobile-enabled technologies and business models to improve access to energy and water services. DFID and the GSMA will also launch a Challenge Fund open to the mobile industry, start-ups, academia and the not-for-profit sector, which will provide seed funding to companies for research to identify and develop pioneering solutions to overcome the challenges and obstacles to community service provision.

The UK Minister for International Development, Lynne Featherstone said: “An increasing number of people globally are using mobile phones, giving us new opportunities to help improve people’s lives through technology. The MECS programme will significantly improve people’s ability to access some of the most basic human needs, improving their health and giving them better foundations on which to build their future. That is why we are committed to supporting the development of innovative new technologies that can provide simple and sustainable solutions to development challenges worldwide.”

With its technology and significant size and reach, the mobile industry can help address these challenges and provide an unprecedented opportunity for scale in impacting lives. Mobile technology and infrastructure are already being used to improve access to energy and water through product distribution via existing channels, pay-as-you-go financing via mobile payments, and remote activation, monitoring and data collection.

“The GSMA has proven experience in bringing together mobile operators, energy service companies, community service provider, the development community and other key stakeholders to; foster partnerships; gather and share knowledge. Through the MECS Programme and Challenge Fund the GSMA will help to accelerate the development of commercial mobile services for underserved people in emerging markets,” continued Locke.

For more information go to www.gsma.com/mecs

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Notes to Editor:
¹Source: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2011
²Source: UNICEF/WHO JMP 2012
³Source: “Sustainable Energy & Water Access through M2M Connectivity” GSMA, 2013.  (http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sustainable-Energy-and-Water-Access-through-M2M-Connectivity.pdf )

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:

For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

London: Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding Europe’s need to stay focused on reducing the cost of high-speed broadband deployment to drive growth:

“We welcome the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on reducing the cost of broadband roll-out and see this as an important step forward. While fixed broadband access is prevalent in most of Europe, mobile broadband infrastructure is now as important to a country’s economy as its energy grid or transportation network – it is essential to help drive growth, increase employment, stimulate innovation and improve sustainability across all sectors of the EU economy. The GSMA is now calling for two key actions: a more efficient process for granting base station permits and affordable spectrum pricing for mobile operators.

“For example, broadband-induced innovation could create two million extra jobs by 2020, while a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration could result in annual GDP growth of 1-1.5 per cent¹.  Reducing the cost and enhancing the efficiency of deployment are critical for achieving the Europe 2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

“However, conditions for granting permits for base stations that mobile operators are required to install for national coverage currently vary considerably from one European country to another. This is exacerbated by a general trend across Europe towards increasing delays in securing base station licenses. In many EU Member States, it still takes on average one year to receive all permits required to deploy the antennas of a single base station, due to excessive bureaucracy, lack of co-operation between governments and operators and politically driven localised barriers to installation.

“Beyond the Commission’s proposal there is one key area that still requires urgent attention: spectrum pricing. It is vital that we address the costs of broadband roll-out but paying for spectrum usage rights represents a significant part of operators’ total investment in deploying high-speed mobile internet. Spectrum fees should be defined to realise the long-term economic value of spectrum to the economy as a whole, not to maximise short-term revenue for governments.

“The GSMA is calling for a consistent, streamlined approach to broadband policy for the deployment of high-speed internet facilities, including general and clear rules for granting base station permissions at national level. The uptake of digital technologies and services facilitated by fast internet is a prerequisite for growth. It is therefore essential for Europe to stay focused on all initiatives that aim to eliminate the current obstacles to high-speed broadband roll-out to make way for recovery and sustained growth across the region.”

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Notes to Editors
¹Source: European Commission’s Single Market Act II Communication

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media contacts:
For the GSMA:
Aneta Szczyglowska (Brussels)
+32 (0)2 894 90 10
ASzczyglowska@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

London: Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding India’s decision to recommend the Asia Pacific (APT) band plan for the allocation of the 700MHz spectrum band to mobile:

“The GSMA welcomes yesterday’s decision by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to recommend the full 2x45MHz APT band plan for allocation of the 700MHz spectrum band to deliver mobile broadband services in the country. India’s decision follows the earlier adoption or active consideration of the APT band plan by many Asia Pacific countries including Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as by a number of markets in Latin America.

“The decision to allocate the 700MHz spectrum band, referred to as the Digital Dividend in many parts of the world, will be crucial for the delivery of universal mobile broadband access. It will bring a wealth of socio-economic benefits to the country as a whole and, in particular, to those in remote areas. One of India’s key goals remains the connection of the 800 million citizens who live in rural areas and the regulator’s recommendation represents a major step towards achieving this goal.

“As more countries in the Asia Pacific region follow India’s lead, greater regional harmonisation will drive economies of scale in the mobile handset market, reduce end user costs and enable Asian consumers to roam seamlessly throughout the region.”

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Notes to Editors
Recommendations from the TRAI can be found here: http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/Final%20-%20IMT%20Reco%2019MARCH2013.pdf

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:
GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

GSMA Provides Further Updates on Exhibition, Including New Partners in Connected City

London: The GSMA today announced that the CEOs of KT Corp., Nokia Siemens Networks, NTT DOCOMO, Telecom Italia and Turk Telecom will be delivering keynote addresses at the 2013 GSMA Mobile Asia Expo. The GSMA also confirmed several new partners for the Connected City at Mobile Asia Expo, as well as a number of new companies that are participating in the exhibition. Mobile Asia Expo will be held June 26-28 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre in Shanghai.

“The mobile industry is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing sectors in technology today,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Attendees to Mobile Asia Expo will be able to experience this across the event, through the thought leadership conference, the exhibition and other meetings and programmes. Mobile Asia Expo is shaping up to be an outstanding event and we look forward to welcoming the mobile industry back to Shanghai.”

CEOs from Across the Industry to Keynote in Shanghai
Executives from the mobile industry’s leading companies will be delivering keynote presentations in the Mobile Asia Expo 2013 conference programme. Confirmed keynote speakers for Mobile Asia Expo include:

• Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Suk-Chae Lee, Chairman and CEO, KT Corp.
• Rajeev Suri, CEO, Nokia Siemens Networks
• Kaoru Kato, President and CEO, NTT DOCOMO
• Hakam Kanafani, Group CEO, Turk Telekom

Beyond the keynotes, the Mobile Asia Expo conference will include focused breakout sessions examining areas such as applications, business transformation, connected living, devices, mobile cloud, mobile money, mobile in retail and advertising, NFC, small cells and social media, among others. For more information on the Mobile Asia Expo conference, please visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com/conference.

New Additions to Connected City, Mobile Asia Expo Exhibition
A highlight of the Mobile Asia Expo show floor will be the Connected City, which will showcase a range of mobile connected products and services, enabling attendees to experience the “Connected Life” first-hand. The GSMA today announced new participating companies for the Connected City, including KT Corp. and SAP, who are joining previously announced partners China Mobile, Cisco, Ford Motor Company and Huawei.

In addition to the Connected City, Mobile Asia Expo exhibition will include more than 200 companies across the broad mobile ecosystem, as well as in adjacent industries. Newly announced companies participating at Mobile Asia Expo include Aricent, AT&T, Lenovo, LitePoint, NEC, Sharp, SK Telecom, SOTI, Tekelec, Toshiba, Ubuntu and Visa. Previously confirmed exhibitors include CyWee Group, Datang Telecom Technology, Co. Ltd., Huawei, JDSU China, Mozilla, Oracle, Panguso Corporation and ZTE, among others.

In App Planet at Mobile Asia Expo, SAP is the Platinum Sponsor for the App Lab and will hold a developer event there on Wednesday, 26 June. McAfee will be an exhibitor in the App Zone. FingerQ has joined as a Platinum Sponsor for the Innovation Lab.

For more information on Mobile Asia Expo 2013, including details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, please visit www.mobileasiaexpo.com.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:

For the GSMA
Palmer Wang (Beijing)
+86 10 8569 9946 or +86 1381 0222 432
pwang@webershandwick.com

Abigail Faylor (London)
+44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

London: Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA, offered the following statement on the European telecommunications market in the context of the European Council meeting in Brussels last week:

“European Union leaders have shown their interest in the development of a strong European telecommunications market that can underpin growth and job creation across the region. The GSMA welcomes this and now calls on the European Commission to seize the opportunity to drive regulatory reform and encourage the investments in telecoms infrastructure required to achieve Europe’s Digital Agenda targets.

“Progress towards a true, pan-European, competition-based telecoms market could provide a significant boost to GDP, innovation and investment in the EU 27 and establish a convergent path between the performance of the EU broadband market and that of the United States, which has, over the past decade, delivered substantially higher levels of investment.

“We look forward to supporting the European Commission in its endeavours to complete the telecoms single market. In this regard, its priorities must be the introduction of pro-investment reforms and a significant reduction in the regulatory burden. The message from Europe’s leaders is a positive one. Now is the time to address Europe’s investment lag in this sector.  A vibrant European telecommunications industry will drive growth, jobs, innovation and sustainability across all industries in the region.

“The details of the ‘concrete measures’ will need to be worked through but the assignment of new, globally harmonised spectrum for mobile broadband, and the removal of inappropriate barriers to market consolidation must be high on the Commission’s list.

“Private investment, enterprise and innovation are the key building blocks to a Connected Europe. The EU institutions play a critical role by providing a policy and regulatory framework that supports investment and competition. Putting the Digital Agenda back on track again will contribute to the creation of jobs in Europe and can help restore Europe’s leadership in telecommunications.”

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA
Aneta Szczyglowska (Brussels)
+32 (0)2 894 90 10
ASzczyglowska@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

With More Than 72,000 Visitors, Attendance Up By 8 Per Cent Over Mobile World Congress 2012

Barcelona : The GSMA today reported that more than 72,000* visitors from over 200 countries attended the 2013 Mobile World Congress, setting another new record for the mobile industry’s premier event. The four-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the world’s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe. Over 50 per cent of this year’s Mobile World Congress attendees hold C-level positions, including more than 4,300 CEOs.

“We are thrilled with the record results for Mobile World Congress 2013, in our first year here in Fira Gran Via,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “Mobile is one of the most vibrant and dynamic industries in the world, and the innovation that is powering the sector was clearly evident throughout Mobile World Congress, in the exhibition, the conference, programmes such as App Planet and mPowered Brands and new event initiatives such as the NFC Experience.

We thank all attendees, exhibitors and sponsors for making our 2013 event such a success.”

Mobile World Congress set additional records, with more than 1,700 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge products and services across 94,000 net square metres of exhibition and hospitality space. More than 3,400 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the many significant industry announcements made at the Congress.

According to a preliminary independent economic analysis, the 2013 Mobile World Congress will have contributed more than 320 million Euros to the local economy. This represents an increase of approximately 19 million Euros over the economic impact of the 2012 event and is driven by the growth in attendance and number of exhibiting companies, as well as the increased footprint of exhibition and hospitality spaces.

Leading CEOs Take the Stage at Mobile World Congress
During the event, CEOs and senior executives from companies including the American Heart Association, Apigee, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, CNN Digital, Deezer, Deutsche Telekom, Dropbox, Ericsson, General Motors, Foursquare, Jana, Jolla, Juniper Networks, KT Corp., Mozilla Foundation, Nielsen, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Ooredoo, Qualcomm, Telefónica , Tele2, Tribal DDB Worldwide, Ubuntu, Viber and Vodafone, discussed and debated the trends and issues which are shaping the mobile industry today and into the future. Beyond the keynotes, the 2013 conference also included focused sessions exploring topics such as big data, mobile cloud, mWallets, NFC, small cells and smart cities, as well as the role of mobile in adjacent industries like advertising, automotive, finance and retail.

Record Attendance to GSMA Ministerial Programme
The GSMA’s Ministerial Programme again saw record attendance, with government delegations from 143 countries and intergovernmental organisations meeting in Barcelona. The Ministerial Programme brings together governments, regulators and industry leaders to discuss the specific regulatory issues shaping the development of mobile around the world. Sponsors for the Ministerial Programme included STC and ZTE.

Focus on Connected Living
A highlight of the Mobile World Congress exhibition was the Connected City, which featured a complete urban environment, including a town hall, department store, apartment, electrical store, hotel, café and lounge, office, a car showroom and a street. Developed in partnership with AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, KT, Telenor and Vodafone, the Connected City showcased new products and experiences illustrating how a more connected future – powered by mobile – will improve people’s daily lives across automotive, education, health, homes, retail and more.

NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress
More than 10,500 attendees participated in the newly introduced NFC Experience , an interactive experience through which attendees, exhibitors and vendors used NFC-enabled handsets to exchange information and conduct transactions at locations throughout Fira Gran Via and in Barcelona. Partners in the NFC Experience included Sony Mobile Communications, CaixaBank, Telefónica, Visa, Gemalto, INSIDE Secure, Hotel Santos Porta Fira, Assa Abloy, Accenture, Connecthings, Open Trends, Ajuntament de Barcelona and Mobile World Capital.

“On behalf of the GSMA, we thank the city of Barcelona, the city of Hospitalet, the Generalitat de Catalunya , the Fira de Barcelona and all our Barcelona partners for supporting and contributing to such an amazing event, and we look forward to returning to the city next year and continuing our success in Fira Gran Via,” concluded Hoffman.

The 2014 Mobile World Congress will be held 24-27 February 2014 at Fira Gran Via.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre, the Mobile World Festival and the Mobile World Hub, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com .

For more information on the 2013 Mobile World Congress, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com .

Note to editor: *This figure represents the number individual attendees at the event, including delegates, exhibitors, contractors and media; it does not represent the total number of entries to the event.

-ENDS-

Translations:
Spanish

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

 
Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851

GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

GSMA Research Shows More Mobile Money Accounts than Bank Accounts in Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda; 224 Million Transactions Totalling $4.6 Billion USD Were Processed on Mobile Money Platforms in One Month

Barcelona: The GSMA’s Mobile Money for the Unbanked (MMU) programme today released the findings of its second annual Global Mobile Money Adoption Survey. The report analyses the state of the mobile money industry in 2012 and illustrates key findings from the programme’s Mobile Money Deployment Tracker, a database that monitors the number of live and planned mobile money services for the unbanked across the globe. The annual survey was developed to quantify the state of the mobile money industry and to enable mobile money providers to benchmark their performance.

The research shows the number of active mobile money users grew impressively; more than 30 million people undertook 224.2 million transactions totalling $4.6 billion during the month of June 2012 alone. This exceeds the 196.3 million transactions performed by Paypal customers on average each month during Q3 2012 1 . The study demonstrates that the mobile money industry continues to expand at an unparalleled rate, with 150 live mobile money services for the unbanked, 41 of which were launched in 2012. In addition, the industry is also becoming increasingly competitive, with 40 markets identified as having at least two different mobile money services available.

“The social impact of mobile money is already well documented, and our report last year offered the first global benchmarks on how many customers were using mobile money,” said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Mobile for Development. “Following our second Mobile Money Adoption Survey, we are able to share deeper insights on the number of customers, on how customers are actually using the service and, perhaps more importantly, on how successful operators are positioning and managing mobile money to meet the needs of those customers.”

Rapid Growth, Particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa
The report counted 81.8 million registered customers globally and with the total number of deployments on a global basis growing by almost 38 per cent, an increasing number of deployments are also achieving significant scale. The report identified six services with more than 1 million active customer accounts and in the last 12 months, three of these services have crossed the 1 million active customers threshold. The number of active customer accounts is now growing rapidly which is a positive sign indicating that customers are realising the benefits from mobile money services.

There are 56.9 million registered customers in sub-Saharan Africa and in June 2012, there were twice as many mobile money users as Facebook users in the region. In terms of geographical spread, more than half of all countries in sub-Saharan Africa have live deployments and 37 per cent of the 166 mobile networks operators in the region have already launched mobile money. Mobile money services are available in 34 of the 47 countries in the region and penetration will continue to grow in the region, since the majority of planned deployments are also in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mobile Money Contributing to Financial Inclusion
Data within the report gives an interesting insight into the contribution of mobile money to financial inclusion globally. There are now more mobile money accounts than bank accounts in Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda, and more mobile money agent outlets than bank branches in at least 28 countries. With over 520,000 registered agent outlets, there are now as many mobile money outlets as Western Union points of sale. Further, in some countries, the total value of mobile money transactions is equivalent to a significant proportion of the country’s overall GDP; in June 2012, it was equivalent to more than 60 per cent of GDP in Kenya, more than 30 per cent of GDP in Tanzania, and more than 20 per cent of GDP in Uganda.

Locke added, “As the mobile money industry is maturing, we can expect to see both the social and financial benefits of mobile money increase and will continue to track this fantastic progress.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Methodology: Standardised operational metrics were supplied by 78 mobile money deployments from 49 countries. The full questionnaire including the list of metrics and their definitions is included in the report. The responses collected through this survey were checked for internal consistency, but all data all self-reported and were not verified independently by the GSMA.

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A full copy of the report can be found at: http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/state-of-the-industry-2012. More information on the MMU project can be found at: http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programmes/mobile-money-for-the-unbanked

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851

GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com or press@gsma.com

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced the winners of the 18th Annual Global Mobile awards, held at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The winners were honoured in an afternoon ceremony hosted by writer, actor and comedian, David Walliams.

Walliams entertained nominees and attendees with a comic introduction to the ceremony. He was joined on stage by representatives from sponsors McAfee, Myriad and Telmap, and media partners CNBC, Fortune and Time, who co-presented awards, as well as John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd., and members of the judging panel.

“Through these awards, we are proud to shine the light on the mobile industry’s many innovators and leaders, from all corners of the world,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “This year’s new categories reflected the industry’s reach into many new sectors and we received more than 600 high-quality entries from across the mobile ecosystem. We would like to congratulate all Global Mobile Awards winners and thank the many hundreds of companies and organisations that support these awards by entering each year.”

Also announced today were the Government Leadership Awards, which recognise governments from around the world for their innovation and leadership in use of mobile technologies in the public sector.

The winners of the 2013 Global Mobile Awards are:

Best Mobile Health Product or Service
MIPsoft for BlindSquare

Best Mobile Education or Learning Product or Service
Mobilink for SMS Based Literacy program

Best Mobile Product or Service for Automotive
BMW i, MINI, Sixt and Vodafone Group for DriveNow Premium Car Sharing

Best NFC /Mobile Money Product or Service
Etisalat for Flous – The Etisalat Commerce Programme

Best Mobile Publishing Product or Service
Ver Se Innovation for NewsHunt

Best Mobile Innovation for ‘Smart Cities’
Streetline for Parker

Best Mobile Enabled Consumer Electronics Device
Samsung Electronics for Samsung GALAXY Camera

Best Enterprise Mobile Service
Mobilelron for Version 5 Complete Enterprise Persona

Best Consumer Mobile Service
Comviva for Mahindra Comviva’s mobiquity™ MFS platform powering mTicketing service for Bangladesh Railways

Best Advertising or Marketing on Mobile
McCann Worldgroup (Hong Kong) for Chok! Chok! Chok!

Best Network Product or Solution for Serving Customers
NTT DOCOMO for Hanashite Hon’yaku, world’s first automatic voice translation service

Best Product, Initiative or Service in Emerging Markets
Ericsson for Amazon Connection– a digital inclusion program in the Amazon

GSMA mWomen Best Mobile Product or Service for Women in Emerging Markets
Asiacell for Almas Line

Best Use of Mobile in Emergency or Humanitarian Situations
Vodafone Foundation for Vodafone Instant Network

The Green Mobile Award
Indus Towers for Green Sites Project

Best Mobile App for Consumers
Facebook

Best Mobile App for Enterprise
Evernote

Judges Choice – Best Overall Mobile App
Waze

Most Innovative Mobile App
McCann Worldgroup (Hong Kong) for Chok! Chok! Chok!

Smartphone Application Challenge
AT&T for Application Resource Optimizer (ARO)

Best Application using Network APIs
Bharti Airtel Limited for my airtel app

Best Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S3

Best Feature phone or entry level phone
Nokia Asha 305

Device Manufacturer of the Year
Samsung

Best Mobile Tablet
Google and Asus for Nexus 7

Best Mobile Infrastructure
Samsung Electronics for Smart LTE Networks

Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough
Accuris Networks for AccuROAM Wi-Fi: Making Wi-Fi a carrier driven extension of GSM for Offload and Roaming

Best Cloud Based Technology for Mobile
Jasper Wireless cloud-based connected devices platform for machine-to-machine (M2M) and consumer electronics

Best Mobile Safeguard & Security Products and Services
AdaptiveMobile and Syniverse for Messaging Trust

Outstanding LTE Contribution
SK Telecom for 4G LTE with PETA Solution

Outstanding Overall Mobile Technology – The CTO’s choice
Samsung Electronics for Smart LTE Networks

Spectrum for Mobile Broadband Award
Government of New Zealand

Mobile for Development Award
U.S. Agency for International Development

m-Government Award
Government of Moldova

The full list of winners and finalist for the 2013 Global Mobile Awards is available at: www.globalmobileawards.com/winners-2013

The shortlist for the ‘Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet at Mobile World Congress 2013′ will be announced between 10.15am and 10.30am (CET), Wednesday, 27 th February on both Mobile World Live TV and the Global Mobile Awards website. The winner will be honoured in a live presentation on Mobile World Live TV at 8.30am on Thursday, 28 th February.

In total, more than 170 independent analysts, journalists, academics and subject matter experts and 13 representatives from mobile operators throughout the world participated in the judging of the 2013 awards.

2013 Global Mobile Awards sponsors include: McAfee (Apps of the Year), Myriad (Social & Economic Development) and Telmap (Connected Life Awards and Best Mobile Services). Market data for the ‘Best Mobile App for Consumers’ and ‘Best Mobile App for Enterprise’ categories was provided by Distimo.

Full information on the Global Mobile Awards can be found at www.globalmobileawards.com.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Barcelona: The GSMA, with partners Qtel Group, USAID and AusAID, today announced the winners of the GSMA mWomen Design Challenge, which aims to redefine the smartphone user experience for resource-poor women in emerging markets.

Qtel Group CEO Dr. Nasser Marafih presented the Grand Prize of $20,000 USD to Jeremy Canfield, Sarah Fathallah and Angel Kittiyachavalit for their design, ‘Sahel Shake’, at a ceremony today at Mobile World Congress 2013. Second place, with a prize of $10,000 USD, was awarded to Aloke Pillai of the York Sheridan Design Program for ‘mpower’. The Emerging Talent Prize of $10,000 USD, which is reserved for an entry from emerging markets to ensure entrepreneurs are able to compete alongside professional design firms, was awarded to Raphael Mutiso, from Kenya for his entry ‘Simplified Grayscale Power Efficient Interface.’

“The standard of entries was extremely high, but the winning submissions were outstanding and we heartily congratulate them all,” said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Mobile for Development and member of the GSMA mWomen Design Challenge selection panel. “Designing for the specific needs of resource-poor consumers is vital to increasing access to mobile’s social benefits, as well as increasing commercial value for the mobile industry.”

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Qtel Group CEO, said on presenting the Grand Prize: “We are delighted to be involved in the GSMA mWomen Design Challenge, as it seeks to address technical literacy issues for under-served communities around the world. The energy, creativity and innovation demonstrated by all the entrants are an inspiration and we believe that the winning entries will play a vital role in enriching the lives of women in the near future. Our congratulations go to the winners, and our thanks go to the GSMA and all the partners for their support for this competition. We are looking forward to exploring the opportunity to bring to market those innovations.”

Grand prize-winning team Jeremy Canfield, Sarah Fathallah and Angel Kittiyachavalit said: “ We are thrilled to have the chance to share this design with the attendees of Mobile World Congress as well as a wider audience. We particularly want to thank GSMA mWomen, Qtel Group, USAID and AusAID. As designers, it is always a privilege to share our work on this type of platform and have the opportunity to bring this design to life.”

USAID Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Counselor Maura O’Neill noted that, “we launched the Design Challenge to curate the best ideas for reimagining how women engage with mobile technologies. Our sincere congratulations to the winners. We are eager to see their designs catalyze the industry and kindle a new movement to address the mobile needs of women everywhere.”

In emerging markets, feature phones with basic voice and SMS capabilities are currently the standard. However, smartphones are forecast to proliferate 1 in these markets over the next few years, becoming the main way people in developing countries will access information, the internet and its associated benefits. However, there is a mobile phone gender gap in low to middle-income countries, where 21 per cent fewer women than men have access to this potentially life-enhancing tool.

The GSMA mWomen Design Challenge was created to simplify the smartphone user interface to help overcome reading and technical literacy barriers to adoption. Twenty-two per cent of women surveyed in Egypt, India, Papua New Guinea and Uganda who do not use mobile phones say it is because they do not know how to use them.

“The GSMA mWomen Design Challenge team gratefully acknowledges the support of partners Skipso and Small Surfaces in implementing the competition,” continued Locke. “It is through clever and thoughtful design that we as an industry can work together to help close the gender gap in phone ownership by women.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors
The GSMA mWomen Design Challenge invited designers, programmers and innovators of all kinds to consider the user experience of resource-poor women and to reimagine a smartphone’s core user interface to be more intuitive and accessible. The more a woman can use her phone, the more value she’ll be able to realize from the pre-installed apps, widgets, and other functionality that can enhance her and her family’s lives. Further information about the GSMA Design Challenge; design brief, creative specifications and winners’ and finalists’ submissions can be found here: https://designchallenge.mwomen.org .

Strategy Analytics, 2011, cited in Ericsson, Profitable Pre-paid Smartphones, June 2012

The GSMA mWomen Programme aims to increase women’s access to, and use of, mobile and life-enhancing, value-added services in the developing world. For more information about the GSMA mWomen Program, visit: www.mwomen.org .

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com .

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com or press@gsma.com

For more information about Qtel, visit: http://www.qtel.qa/en/home

Qtel Press Office: qgmedia@qtel.com.qa

For more information about USAID, visit: www.usaid.gov
USAID Press Office: 202-712-4320
USAID Public Information: 202-712-4810

For more information about AusAID, visit: www.ausaid.gov.au

GSMA and Visa Study Reflects Findings from Five Key Emerging Countries

Barcelona: A study released today by the GSMA mWomen Programme and Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) entitled, Unlocking the Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Emerging Markets, shows that women in developing countries represent a significant underserved market and commercial opportunity for mobile financial service providers. The study, focused on women in Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania, was undertaken to gain additional insight into how financial institutions and mobile network operators can better support the complex financial lives of women at the base of the pyramid.

Around the world more than 2 billion people, the majority of whom are women, lack access to basic financial services. The study, led by Bankable Frontier Associates, found that women often also face an additional burden of having primary responsibility for managing the household finances. These resource-poor women must overcome numerous challenges in managing their finances: incomes are low, irregular and unpredictable, and formal financial tools hard to access.

Key report findings include :

• Women actively contribute to household income -75 per cent of women surveyed contribute some amount of income, most often from irregular sources like small businesses or agricultural sales;
• Women use a variety of tools to manage household finances – Nearly 60 per cent of women surveyed are saving money for daily expenses and long-term needs and a full one-third pay the family’s utility bills or make other types of remittances; and
• Women recognise the security and privacy of mobile money – In Kenya, for example, 95 per cent of women using mobile remittances rated them as secure and private. In comparison, only roughly half of those using personal delivery of cash as their primary method consider it secure and private.

“At Visa, we believe mobile technology is a key component in advancing financial inclusion, providing the excluded a convenient and accessible point of entry to the formal financial system,” said Aletha Ling, Chief Operating Officer of Fundamo, a Visa company. “This is particularly true for women, who face additional barriers to entering the financial mainstream and for whom security and privacy are critical issues. By working to build relevant services, expand distribution networks and tailor their marketing efforts, the mobile financial services community can create better approaches for reaching this underserved group.”

“This research clearly demonstrates that women play a critical role in the success of mobile financial services deployment,” said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Mobile for Development. “It underscores the fact that services delivered via mobile phone can better meet women’s financial management needs than many of the informal tools they use today and, equally important, provides actionable guidance about how MFS providers can best expand and market their services to better address women’s requirements.”

According to the report, women are active contributors to household incomes, and as household financial managers, they are responsible for a variety of transactions such as remittances, payments and money storage that MFS providers are well-positioned to deliver. As an additional commercial benefit to MFS providers, when women’s financial and payment needs are met consistently, they can be very loyal and evangelising customers. Furthermore, their role as primary recipients of government-to-person payments means that providers who serve women, may be better positioned to provide solutions for the emerging wave of payments in the future.

Daryl Collins, co-author of the seminal work, Portfolios of the Poor , and a director at Bankable Frontier Associates, said: “This study has shown that low-income women undertake complex financial management for their households using a set of often sub-standard instruments. Women often work with high frequency, low value cash flows, which indicates a good match between the services they need and the opportunity for the mobile financial services industry to broaden and stabilize their consumer base.”

To better serve low-income women, reduce the mobile phone gender-gap ¹ and increase the likelihood of commercial success for mobile financial service deployments in emerging markets, the report recommends:

• Increasing Mobile Access for Women – Thirty-four per cent of women in Tanzania, 13 per cent of women in Kenya and 10 per cent of women in Papua New Guinea who want to try mobile financial services cite the lack of a phone as the main reason for not having done so. Closing this gender gap can help MFS providers build scale and volume for their mobile financial service businesses;
• Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Mobile Financial Services – To benefit from the stability and scale of active women customers, providers need to research how women in their markets learn and absorb information and tailor their communications. Investments in agent training and grassroots communications will help build awareness and more importantly, help educate women on the value of MFS;
• Delivering a high-quality customer service offering – Women tend to value convenience, reliability, security and privacy in financial management tools. Investments in marketing, services, customer care and agent networks will enable providers to better meet these needs. Accessible, well-trained and trustworthy agents will drive greater adoption among women and men alike; and
• Improving Understanding of and Developing Solutions to Adoption Barriers – The research also unearthed country-specific adoption barriers that need to be addressed with targeted solutions. For example, in Kenya, the lack of an identification card is a significant issue for women. In Pakistan, low literacy levels appear to contribute to women’s limited understanding of mobile financial services. Country-specific research will lead to targeted marketing approaches that can broaden the potential user base for MFS.

While mobile financial services offer value to women household financial managers, there are several markets where adoption has been slow for both genders. Although barriers to adoption certainly vary by market, women in a given market tend to experience similar and yet more acute challenges than men, meaning a focused effort on women can also improve male adoption as well.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Methodology:
The GSMA study includes findings from primary quantitative research in four markets and qualitative research in five markets, supplemented with secondary research from existing sources. Primary data collection was designed by Bankable Frontier Associates (BFA) to focus on the women’s segment, as well as differences between mobile phone/MFS users and non-users; all results should be interpreted in this context prior to comparing findings to nationally representative surveys of these same markets.

For the quantitative analysis, BFA commissioned household surveys in Kenya, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania, over-sampling women to comprise 75 per cent of the total respondents in each country. BFA also undertook qualitative research across rural and urban areas in Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania, including focus groups of 8-10 and in-depth, one-on-one interviews.

¹ A woman in a low or middle-income country is 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man, according to the report , “Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity” published by the GSMA and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

About Visa Inc.
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 24,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com .

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

GSMA mWomen ( www.mWomen.org ), part of GSMA Mobile for Development, aims to increase women’s access to and use of mobile phones and life-enhancing mobile services in developing markets. The GSMA mWomen Global Development Alliance is a programme in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Australian Agency for International Development, GSMA and Visa.

To access the full report, visit http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/unlocking-the-potential

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

For Visa Inc.
Robert Meloche
+1 650 432 4560
rmeloche@visa.com

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced that Korean mobile operators KT Corporation and SK Telecom have been named the joint recipients of the 2013 GSMA Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award, established in 1996, is the GSMA’s most prestigious award and recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of mobile communications around the world. This year’s award recognises SK Telecom and KT for their pioneering efforts and leadership in driving the adoption of SIM-based mobile near field communication (NFC) services.

“KT and SK Telecom have been at the forefront of global commercialisation of NFC, catalysing the financial ecosystem for mobile NFC from an early stage,” said Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group. “These efforts have not only led to an explosion in demand for NFC-based services domestically, but ensured that the country leads in the worldwide adoption of a single standard for mobile NFC. On behalf of the GSMA, and indeed the entire mobile industry, I commend SK Telecom and KT for their cooperative spirit and a commitment to making life-enhancing new mobile services for users everywhere.”

NFC is facilitating a wide range of new applications for consumers, such as mobile ticketing to board public transportation, the exchange of information and content, control access to cars, homes, hotels, offices and car parks, and much more. With more than 21 million SIM-based NFC handsets, South Koreans have become avid NFC users, tapping their smartphones to purchase goods in shops and street markets, pay fares on public transport and access buildings.

The two operators have applied significant effort and investment to ensure compatibility of NFC technologies in their home market of South Korea and around the world. As far back as 2007, KT took the lead in the series of payment projects instigated by the GSMA to develop a single, global approach to enabling contactless payments using mobile, showcasing the SIM card as the preferred place to store payment applications. SK Telecom has been playing a similarly leading role over the last few years as the NFC Global Project leader in the GSMA’s Mobile NFC programme.

SK Telecom and KT have addressed some of the most complex business and technical challenges necessary for the successful convergence of mobile and financial services, at the same time driving consensus among themselves, regulators, handset makers, payment card and financial services providers and point of sale suppliers. Through all of these efforts, and particularly by striving for international interoperability of mobile NFC services, the operators have forged the early history of mobile commerce. In the GSMA’s Mobile NFC programme, KT and SK Telecom are continuing to share their expertise and experience with their counterparts in Asia, Europe and elsewhere around the world.

“We believe that NFC technology will definitely enrich our customers’ lives, providing a convenient means for making financial transactions and secure exchange of information while playing a critical role in enabling equitable access to secure mobile banking and mobile money transfer services to developing countries,” said Suk-chae Lee, Chairman and CEO of KT Corp. “This award is a great recognition of KT’s endeavor in the worldwide adoption of a single standard of NFC payment from the early time, when it led GSMA’s Pay-Buy-Mobile Project and successfully demonstrated the world first NFC-based global payment service in 2007. KT will continue to drive innovations in NFC-based services and contribute to broadening of the global NFC eco-system.”

Sung Min Ha, President and CEO of SK Telecom said, “It is truly a great honour to receive the GSMA Chairman’s Award, as it recognizes SK Telecom’s continuing commitment and efforts to enrich people’s lives through innovative technologies and services. SK Telecom will continue to work closely with the GSMA and actively participate in its initiatives and programmes, while making redoubled efforts to become one of the most influential companies in the world by introducing cutting-edge ICT that provide customers with greater value and convenience.”

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Expansion of Mobile Data Will Provide Better Access to Healthcare and Education, Help Lift People Out of Poverty, Fight Hunger, Combat Climate Change and Fuel Economic Growth

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced that mobile operator d ata revenues will overtake voice revenues globally by 2018 ¹ as we move towards a fully connected world. The mobile data explosion is being driven by a surge in demand for connected devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and is transforming the socioeconomic future of people in developed and developing countries.

A new GSMA report ² , developed in collaboration with PwC, reveals how innovative mobile connected products and services will revolutionise people’s lives over the next five years.

In developed countries:

• mHealth could save $400 billion in healthcare costs in OECD countries
• Connected cars could save one in nine lives through emergency calling services
• mEducation can reduce student drop-outs by eight per cent or 1.8 million children
• Smart metering can cut carbon emissions by 27 million tonnes – the equivalent of planting 1.2 billion trees

In developing countries:

• mHealth to help save one million lives in sub-Saharan Africa
• mAutomotive will improve food transport and storage, which could help feed more than 40 million people annually – equivalent to entire the population of Kenya
• mEducation can enable 180 million students to further their education
• Intelligent transport systems could reduce commute times by 35 per cent, giving commuters back a whole week each year

“Mobile data is not just a commodity, but is becoming the lifeblood of our daily lives, society and economy, with more and more connected people and things,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “This is an immense responsibility and the mobile industry needs to continue collaborating with governments and key industry sectors to deliver products and services that help people around the world improve their businesses and societies.”

The increase in mobile operator data revenues is a global trend across both developed and emerging markets. In 2012, Japan became the first country where data revenues exceeded voice revenues, due largely to the availability of advanced mobile broadband networks and a higher adoption of the latest smartphones, tablets and connected devices. This year, Argentina’s data revenues will exceed voice revenues, attaining this milestone ahead of the US and UK, which will reach this point in 2014. Kenya will experience this shift in 2016, with other emerging economies expected to follow as mobile broadband continues to thrive ³.

Data growth has spurred significant advances in connected devices and M2M technologies globally. Four sectors in particular – health, automotive, education and smart cities – are building on the evolution of mobile broadband access and services.

• mHealth – In the fight against malaria, TB, HIV and perinatal conditions, greater use of mobile connectivity could save more than one million lives in sub-Saharan Africa between now and 2017. In developed countries, mHealth products and services could shave a massive $400 billion off the annual healthcare bill in 2017.
• mAutomotive – A staggering 240 million tonnes of food spoils during transit and in storage every year in developing countries. The use of mobile to track trucks, optimise fleet performance and monitor the temperature of storage facilities would save enough food to feed 40 million people in 2017, equivalent to the entire population of Kenya.

  In OECD countries, connected cars equipped with in-car emergency call services can help save 35,000, or one in nine, lives by 2017 by providing quicker and more accurate emergency location and response times.

• mEducation – The use of mobile handsets, e-readers and tablets to enable flexible learning in developed nations will boost primary and secondary student retention rates by eight per cent, or 1.8 million children, by 2017.

  In the developing world, of the 610 million students enrolled in primary education, only 10 per cent are expected to enter secondary education. The impact of mEducation will result in a 180 million students having the opportunity to stay in education over the next five years in developing countries.

• Smart Cities – People can reclaim one full week of time annually as a result of intelligent transport systems that will monitor traffic flows and encourage the use of public transport, which will help reduce commute times by up to 35 per cent in developing smart cities in 2017.

A staggering 360 million tonnes of carbon is emitted by developed market cities each year. Through smart metering this could be reduced by 27 million tonnes, or the equivalent of planting 1.2 billion trees, in 2017.

The GSMA is showcasing examples of the mobile products and services that are enabling global socioeconomic improvements at its Connected City at Mobile World Congress this week. This includes features such as remote health monitoring that link people to healthcare professionals from their own homes, intelligent logistics services that provide more efficient ways of transporting people and goods, smart technology that makes mobile the ‘brains’ of your home, and in-car services that change the way we consume information on the move.

For the complete GSMA-PwC report visit: www.gsma.com/connectedliving .

For more information on the GSMA Connected City visit: www.gsma.com/newsroom/gsma-to-unveil-the-connected-city-at-mwc-2013 .

Notes to Editors

¹ Global Mobile Operator Data vs. Voice Revenue Forecast 2018 – GSMA

GSMA (2018 extrapolation of Ovum 2012-2017 Mobile Voice and Data Revenue Forecast)

² Connected Life: The impact of the connected life in the next five years, PwC for the GSMA

³ By Country Mobile Operator Data vs. Voice Revenue Breakdown – Ovum

Ovum 2012-2017 Mobile Voice and Data Revenue Forecast

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com .

Media Contacts

Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44 (0)7810 050 576
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced a new, flexible technical platform, the OneAPI Exchange, which will deliver network capabilities to mobile apps. This latest phase of the OneAPI global initiative, which facilitates closer collaboration between operators and developers, has been undertaken with leading mobile operators including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone. The OneAPI Exchange will be operated by leading technology provider Apigee.

“The OneAPI Exchange promises to elevate the mobile app experience for consumers,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “By supporting closer operator-developer relationships and greater cross-carrier interoperability, the platform will lead to seamless access to exciting mobile apps with enhanced features. End users will benefit from operator services they already know and trust, such as billing, messaging and operator identity, embedded within the apps they choose.”

New Flexible Platform for Operator-Developer Collaboration
The new initiative incorporates the work undertaken by the Wholesale Application Community (WAC), which was integrated into the GSMA in July 2012. The OneAPI Exchange, which is currently in a working proof of concept form, improves that capability by giving operators the choice of providing developers with either their own customised application programming interfaces (APIs) or standardised APIs. This leads to better flexibility for operators to participate in the OneAPI Exchange programme, according to their own business objectives, while also providing benefits of scale and reach to their developers through API interoperability.

When a developer selects and registers with an operator developer programme, they are able to build applications that utilise that operator’s APIs. The OneAPI Exchange also allows a developer to specify which other operators’ networks they would like their app to work with, so services are not limited to the customers of a single operator. The platform seamlessly maps the APIs used by the app onto those used by the consumer’s operator.

This federated approach enables operators to either customise the services available on their own platforms, while still reaching a mass market, or expose their network capabilities to developers through standardised APIs.

"The OneAPI Exchange is a completely new model for API interoperability that will dramatically simplify and accelerate the development of telco API-powered apps in a global marketplace. We are extremely pleased to be providing a leading edge solution powered by Apigee technology to the GSMA and its mobile operator members, and look forward to many successful deployments in the year ahead," said Chet Kapoor, Apigee CEO.

Globalising the OneAPI Solution
As part of the wider OneAPI programme, the OneAPI Gateway was commercially launched in 2012 with leading Canadian operators Bell Mobility, Rogers and TELUS and operated by Transaction Network Services (TNS) and Aepona. This platform, which has delivered access to apps that use network APIs to 93 per cent of Canadian consumers, will be integrated into the global OneAPI Exchange solution.

Standardised location, messaging and payment APIs are already commercially available in Canada through the OneAPI Gateway. A standardised identity API, which allows consumers to register with applications without the need to share a user identity and password with third parties, will be available across the global OneAPI Exchange in Q2 2013. A payment API will also go live on the OneAPI Exchange this year. There will also be the opportunity for other technology providers to collaborate in technical infrastructure developments going forward.

Opportunities for Developers
Through the OneAPI Exchange platform, developers will be able to create ‘stickier’ apps, enhanced by embedded operator functionality exposed via APIs. Closer operator-developer cooperation will facilitate the worldwide rollout of their apps. Using the OneAPI Exchange, developers can access network APIs using open and standardised web technologies, enabling easy integration across all platform types including Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone as well as WebApps, that run within mobile handset web browsers and the native HTML5 platforms from FirefoxOS, Tizen and Ubuntu.

The OneAPI Exchange further allows developers to maintain a direct relationship with their chosen operator and their development resources. Within this environment, they can then subscribe to an operator network API and choose the additional operators they would like their app to work with. All billing, metrics and usage data is then streamlined through a single operator, eliminating the need for direct and complex multi-carrier onboarding.

“Consumers across the world are increasingly using mobile applications in their business and personal lives,” continued O’Hara. “There is now an exciting opportunity for the mobile industry to provide solutions that simplify the app development process, accelerate time to market and facilitate worldwide reach. The OneAPI Exchange will help take the consumer experience to the next level.”

Network APIs in Action at Mobile World Congress
A range of mobile app demonstrations will show network APIs in action. These include:

• Canonical’s recently launched Ubuntu Phone OS pilots a simple one-click log-in using operator authentication and provides operator billing options for the Ubuntu One music download store;
• A bike hire scheme and pizza ordering service by Apigee;
• MYAndroidProtection that safeguards your mobile data against loss, theft or malware and MYMobileKidsProtection that sets boundaries for children when using smartphones, both by MYMobileSecurity.

Attendees to Mobile World Congress 2013 can experience these demos in the Connected City, Hall 3, Stands 3B2 and 3C2 and also at the GSMA Pavilion located in Congress Square.

For further information visit: www.gsma.com/oneapi

- ENDS –

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA:
Ben Evetts
+44 (0)7879 614941
bevetts@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office

press@gsma.com

“The Mobile Economy 2013” Details Socio-Economic Impact of Mobile and Highlights Drivers of Future Growth for the Mobile Industry

Barcelona: The GSMA today released a new report, “The Mobile Economy 2013”, which provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile industry today, and outlines the key opportunities and challenges for the mobile industry over the next five years. Developed by the GSMA and A.T. Kearney, the wide-ranging study offers critical insights into the health of the mobile communications industry and details the global enablers needed to spur further investment and growth in the sector. With the number of mobile subscribers standing at 3.2 billion people, nearly half of the world’s population now uses mobile communications ¹. It is expected that a further 700 million subscribers will be added by 2017 and the 4 billion-subscriber milestone will be reached in 2018.

“Mobile is a vibrant and evolving industry at the heart of everyday life for billions of people around the world,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. “Mobile has gone beyond being a mere communications tool to one that provides life-enhancing, and in some cases life-saving, services to men, women and children. It’s exciting to look at the possibilities ahead of us as we connect the world’s population to the mobile Internet.”

Socio-Economic Contribution of Mobile
The mobile industry is a major contributor to the global economy. The total mobile ecosystem revenues were US$1.6 trillion, or 2.2 per cent of global GDP. For the period through 2017, the mobile industry will invest US$1.1 trillion in capital expenditure and will contribute US$2.6 trillion to public funding. Importantly, in 2017, companies across the ecosystem will employ nearly 10 million people globally.

“The mobile industry’s economic impact reaches far beyond its already-impressive $1.6 trillion in revenues, to boost individual well-being, corporate productivity and government funding,” said Mark Page, leader of A.T. Kearney’s Communications, Media and Technology practice and co-author of the report. “As the market expands with the spread of smartphones, 4G networks and innovative applications across the globe, the challenge for mobile operators is to stake their claim to a share of the associated revenue growth. Cross-industry initiatives such as those described in this report will be essential to operators in ensuring a central position in the mobile ecosystem value chain.”

Proliferation of Mobile Broadband Is Enabling Growth of Data
At the end of 2012, there were 6.8 billion mobile connections worldwide, a figure expected to grow to 9.7 billion by the end of 2017. Mobile broadband accounted for 1.6 billion of these connections in 2012, increasing to 5.1 billion in 2017, including 920 million LTE connections. The proliferation of mobile broadband is enabling an explosion in data traffic and in 2012, 0.9 exabytes of data traversed mobile networks every month; this will increase by 66 per cent to 11.2 exabytes per month in 2017. ² The rate of growth is best illustrated by the fact that total traffic volumes in 2012 were as high as all prior years combined. ³

Global Enablers to Spur Investment and Growth
The report highlights several factors critical to the further growth of the industry. With the growing adoption of mobile broadband and the dramatic rise in data traffic, the future of mobile depends on operators having timely and reasonable access to the necessary spectrum resource. Another essential element in enabling growth is a transparent, consultative and predictable regulatory environment, addressing spectrum licencing, competition, taxation and intellectual property. And finally, it is important that anti-trust authorities, while protecting the market against any abuse, should allow the industry to re-organise and consolidate to address new economic realities.

“The mobile communications industry is creating a mobile economy, both directly through network investment, job creation and contributions to public funding, and by transforming adjacent industries such as education, healthcare, payments, transportation and utilities,” continued Bouverot. “But to fully realise this future and to enable the mobile industry to maximise its investments, it is essential that we establish a light-touch regulatory environment, based predominantly on competition, and develop new business models that will allow all ecosystem participants to benefit from the mobile economy.”

To access the full report, “The Mobile Economy 2013”, visit www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com .

 
Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851

GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

¹ Mobile subscriber penetration stands at 45 per cent globally, while mobile connection penetration is currently 94 per cent. The variance between the number of mobile subscribers and the number of mobile connections is related to multiple SIM ownership as well as inactive SIMs. GSMA Wireless Intelligence.

² Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2012 to 2017. Cisco. 2013.

³ Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2012 to 2017. Cisco. 2013.

Mobile Operating System Players Mozilla, Tizen and Ubuntu to Take the Stage Tuesday Night at Mobile World Congress 2013

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced the details of the Mobile World Live keynote taking place next week at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2013 , along with other keynote speakers in the conference programme. The GSMA also provided further updates across other programmes at the event, including the NFC Experience, App Planet and Partner Events. Mobile World Congress will take place 25-28 February at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

“Mobile World Congress 2013 is shaping up to be our biggest and most exciting event ever,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “From the exhibition to the conference programme to targeted programmes such as App Planet and mPowered Brands, along with many educational seminars and meetings, there’s something for every attendee. We are looking forward to welcoming the mobile industry to Barcelona and to our new home at Fira Gran Via.”

Mobile World Live Keynote: Focus on Mobile OS
The GSMA announced the speakers for its Mobile World Live keynote taking place at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, 26 th February in Auditorium 1, Hall 4 at Fira Gran Via. This Mobile World Live keynote will feature a panel of CEOs who will explore today’s mobile OS market and the innovations shaping the future of smartphones and other connected devices. Speakers for this exciting session include:

• Mitchell Baker, Chairman, Mozilla Foundation
• Imad Sousou, Co-Chair, Tizen
• Mark Shuttleworth, Founder, Ubuntu

The Mobile World Live keynote is open to all Mobile World Congress attendees holding Gold, Silver, Platinum or Press/Industry Analyst passes. Mobile World Live TV will also broadcast the session live on screens throughout Fira Gran Via, on a dedicated channel reaching 21,000 rooms in nearly 160 hotels across Catalonia and on local channels to households throughout the region. Further, the keynote will be streamed live to the Mobile World Live app, which is available as part of the official Mobile World Congress event app, and to the Mobile World Live website. Mobile World Live TV is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor Windows Phone; Gold Sponsor Acer; and Silver Sponsor Mobily.  

In addition to the Mobile World Live keynote, the GSMA announced further keynote speakers in the Mobile World Congress conference programme, including:

• Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association
• Chet Kapoor, CEO, Apigee
• Peter Bale, GM, CNN International Digital

For more information on the Mobile World Congress conference programme, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference .

New Updates for the NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress
As part of the new NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress, the GSMA, in partnership with Accenture, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Assa Abloy, CaixaBank, Connecthings, Gemalto, Hotel Santos Porta Fira, Mobile World Capital, Open Trends, Sony, Telefónica and Visa, will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services. Attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout Fira Gran Via and in the city. As a reminder, attendees with NFC-enabled handsets (Android 4 and above, BlackBerry 7.1 and Windows Phone 8 operating system) can opt into the NFC Experience and the NFC Badge. Attendees then have full show entry with the NFC Badge and their physical badge, but without the need to repeatedly present a physical photo ID to gain access to the venue. 

CaixaBank, Gemalto, Telefónica and Visa, together with the Mobile World Capital, are delivering a payments application as part of the NFC Experience. The application, which was developed using wallet technology developed by Telefónica Digital, will be offered on Xperia™ T smartphones provided by Sony Mobile Communications to 3,500 Mobile World Congress attendees. The app will come pre-loaded with €15, allowing attendees to make payments at contactless payment terminals across Fira Gran Via. In addition, the app will allow payments in all “contactless” point of sale terminals (POS) rolled out by CaixaBank around Barcelona, including more than 16,000 POS in stores, commercial centres and city markets, as well as 1,000 taxis.

Another element of the NFC Experience is the NFC Challenge, a competition open to exhibitors with commercialised NFC-related apps, products, services or solutions. Submissions will be secretly evaluated at the exhibitors’ stands by a team of judges during the first two days of Mobile World Congress. The winning company and their submission will be announced Wednesday, 27 th February during the App Planet Open Forum, taking place in the Hall 8.0 Theatre District, Theatre A.  More information on the NFC Experience is available at: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/nfc-at-mwc/ .

Updates on Mobile World Congress Featured Programmes
The GSMA announced new app developer conferences (ADCs) as part of App Planet, as well as two new Partner Events. In App Planet, Supporting Sponsor developerprogram.com will be holding an ADC on Thursday, 28 th February. On Wednesday, 27 th February, the App Planet Open Forum presented by APPNATION will feature executive roundtables and presentations from companies including Amazon, AT&T, Ericsson, Google AdMob, Twitter and Windows Phone. The GSMA also announced two new Partner Events: “Innovations in Enterprise Mobility” presented by AirWatch on Monday, 25 th February and “Bringing the Community Together @MWC!” presented by MobileMonday on Thursday, 28 th February. For more information on Featured Programmes at Mobile World Congress, please visit http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/featured-programmes/ .

Media Welcome Reception Sponsor and Demonstration Showcases
HTC is sponsoring the first official Mobile World Congress Media Welcome Reception taking place on Sunday, 24 th February from 17:00 to 19:00 at Fira Gran Via. This networking cocktail reception will offer accredited press and industry analysts the opportunity to meet with leading players from across the mobile ecosystem and preview the week’s activities in relaxed social environment. The reception will feature demonstration showcases from AirWatch, Gigamon, MicroStrategy, Mobeam, Neonode, Rubicon Project, Sandvine, Symphony Teleca and Trend Micro. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/press/ .

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre, the Mobile World Festival and the Mobile World Hub, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com .

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851

GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

London: The GSMA today welcomed the official opening of the Mobile World Centre in Barcelona. Located in the heart of Barcelona, the Mobile World Centre offers a year-round, state-of-the-art exhibition showroom where citizens can learn about and experience first-hand how mobile is enhancing people’s lives. The Mobile World Centre will offer a range of activities and programmes, combining content exhibitions, educational programmes and retail activities and bringing together a wide variety of audiences, including schools, start-ups, entrepreneurs and established companies, as well as celebrities and experts in cultural areas such as music, art, cuisine, among others.

Executives from the GSMA joined dignitaries and authorities from the Mobile World Capital Barcelona to commemorate the opening of the Mobile World Centre on Thursday 14 February. GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot and GSMA Ltd. CEO John Hoffman were among the guests of honour at the evening event held at the Mobile World Centre located in Plaça Catalunya.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Bouverot noted: “We’re very excited to have achieved this important milestone, driven by a very close collaboration between government authorities and companies across the private sector. W e congratulate the Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Telefónica for their strong partnership in making this a reality. We also applaud the creativity of all those who have worked tirelessly since July 2011 when the GSMA awarded Barcelona the title of Mobile World Capital, leading to the creation of the Mobile World Centre.”

The Mobile World Centre is one of four pillars of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, along with the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which will be held 25-28 February at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, the Mobile World Hub and the Mobile World Festival. The Mobile World Centre demonstrates the stature of Barcelona as a leader in mobile innovation and provides a global platform to showcase the power of mobile and its positive impact on the world.

“It’s very exciting and gratifying to see this coming to fruition,” said John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd. “While the Mobile World Centre is located here, in the heart of Barcelona, it’s really a platform for the entire world – companies and organisations from throughout Spain, across Europe and around the world will be able to participate here, to demonstrate both the current state of mobile and offer a vision of our connected future.

“And with Mobile World Congress taking place in just eleven days, with more than 70,000 visitors coming to Barcelona, the timing of this opening could not be more perfect,” continued Hoffman. “We encourage everyone to visit and be part of the experience in the Mobile World Centre, and to visit before, during and after the Mobile World Congress.”

The Mobile World Centre is located in Plaça Catalunya at c/ Fontanella nº 2, at the corner of Avda. Portal del Ángel – Barcelona. The Mobile World Centre is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00.

The Mobile World Capital press kit on the Mobile World Centre is available at http://www.welcomemobile.mobi/press/ . Additional information on the Mobile World Centre and Mobile World Capital is available at www.mobileworldcapital.com .

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

New Mobile Observatory Calls for Additional Spectrum and Transparent Regulation to Further Boost Investment and Job Creation

Dubai: Today the GSMA published its first in-depth assessment of the impact of the mobile industry on the Arab States ¹, highlighting the explosive growth of mobile services in the region. Based on research from Deloitte, the GSMA Arab States Mobile Observatory ² details strong regional market competition and falling handset prices, fuelling a 32 per cent average annual growth in mobile connections over the past 10 years, soaring from 19 million connections in 2002 to 391 million in 2012.

While highlighting the extraordinary development of the region over the past decade, the report identifies fundamental challenges that put the continued growth of the sector at risk, including limited spectrum availability, high taxation and stifling regulation.

“Mobile communications in the Arab States have transformed society and fostered substantial growth in investment, innovation and productivity,” commented Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA. “However, there are far greater opportunities that the mobile industry can deliver for the region. Governments need to take action now to increase spectrum availability and stabilise the regulatory environment if they want to continue the momentum and realise mobile’s full potential.”

Economic Impact of Mobile
The rapid pace of mobile adoption has delivered substantial economic benefits for the region, directly contributing US$ 132 billion to the economies of the Arab States, or approximately 5.5 per cent of total GDP, in 2011 ³.

In addition to the economic value, the mobile industry has contributed to employment in the region. The full-time employment created across the Arab States as a result of the availability of mobile technologies is estimated to have been more than 1.2 million jobs in 2011. This figure represents a combination of direct employment by mobile operators, jobs across the mobile ecosystem and the multiplier effect caused by the positive business impact of the mobile ecosystem on wider industries, further boosting job creation. If additional harmonised spectrum were allocated to mobile broadband, 5.9 million additional jobs could be created by 2025, according to the study.

Additional Spectrum Urgently Required
Mobile broadband connections across the Arab States are expected to increase by a staggering 255 per cent by 2017, rising from 40 million in 2011 to 142 million, reflecting the enormous appetite for mobile broadband services. Mobile broadband connections have already outstripped fixed-line connections by over 350 per cent.

However, to extend mobile penetration and capacity, as well as reap the associated economic benefits, governments in the region urgently need to deliver adequate spectrum in line with internationally and regionally harmonised spectrum bands, including the Digital Dividend, 2.6GHz and 1.8GHz bands.

The release of additional spectrum could raise the region’s combined GDP by US$ 108 billion ⁴ between 2015 and 2025. Harmonisation of spectrum bands would further lead to economies of scale for device manufacturers, which in turn would give more consumers access to affordable mobile technology.

Santino Saguto, Partner Consulting, TMT Leader for Deloitte Middle East, commented: “Mobile penetration has increased greatly over the past few years and now reaches well above 100 per cent in many countries of the Arab States. However, in order to meet the expected demand for new generation services, governments need to continue to support the development of mobile broadband, notably through the provision of appropriate spectrum. The current spectrum allocations are not able to sustain the potential growth in data traffic and, unless increased, seem likely to raise costs of provision, challenge investment decisions and increase network congestion.”

Need for Greater Regulatory Certainty
The study also points out the urgent need for governments to revise mobile taxation and regulatory regimes across the region. Information and communication technology (ICT) policies that support light-touch regulatory frameworks will increase investment from mobile operators in next-generation data services across the region.

High consumer taxes on mobile products and services are holding back the growth of the sector, decreasing affordability and, in turn, usage levels, denying the poorest members of the population access to mobile services. A number of countries in the region, including Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, have extremely high taxes on mobile services as a result of mobile-specific or ‘luxury’ tax rates.

If spectrum needs are met and regulatory certainty delivered, there is a major opportunity for governments to generate significant additional revenue from the mobile ecosystem, with the potential to raise US$ 528.7 million in the Arab Middle East and US$ 383.7 million in North Africa by 2025.

Phillips continued: “The Arab States’ mobile industry is clearly making a major contribution to their societies and economies. However, the potential for it to make an even greater contribution to the region’s success and growth is clear with the provision of mobile data and mobile broadband services. By tackling the core issues of spectrum availability, taxation and network investment and creating a more transparent and business-friendly regulatory environment, this opportunity can be realised.”

To access the report please visit: www.gsma.com/MO

- ENDS –

Notes to Editors

¹ The ‘Arab States’ are defined in this report as the following countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen (Arab Middle East); and Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and South Sudan (North Africa).

² This report, prepared by Deloitte for the GSMA, is the first GSMA Mobile Observatory to focus on the Arab States. It provides a thorough analysis of the mobile communications industry across the Arab Middle East and North Africa. The report provides the latest statistics and mobile market developments, and is an important reference point for mobile industry members, policy makers and other interested stakeholders. It covers the state of the industry, including the evolution of competition, innovation in new products, services and technologies and the industry’s contribution to social and economic development across the region.

³ The total economic impact of the mobile communication industry in 2011 was US$ 98.1 billion for the Arab Middle East and US$ 34.1 billion for North Africa, amounting to GDP of 6.2 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively.

⁴ US$ 57.5 billion in the Arab Middle East and US$ 50.5 in North Africa.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA:
Ben Evetts (UK)
+44 (0)7879 614941
bevetts@webershandwick.com

Lina Al Desouky (Dubai)
+97 1504 648 110
lina.aldesouky@ws-mena.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

London: Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding Brazil’s decision to allocate the 700MHz spectrum band to mobile:

“The GSMA welcomes today’s decision by Brazilian Minister of Communications, Paulo Bernardo, instructing regulator ANATEL to allocate the 700MHz spectrum band to mobile broadband services. Brazil’s action complements earlier decisions by other Latin American countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay. This Digital Dividend spectrum is a key enabler for universal mobile broadband access, supporting affordable network roll-out and offering a host of socio-economic benefits for urban and rural populations alike, including those living in remote areas where fixed-line penetration is low.

“We now encourage ANATEL to work with Brazilian mobile operators to define the conditions and timing for licensing the spectrum to best advance development of the country’s wider mobile ecosystem and provide innovative services to consumers. Adoption of a harmonised 700MHz band plan will be essential to generate the economies of scale needed to deliver the full benefits of affordable mobile broadband services to the people of Brazil.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors
Statement from the Brazilian Ministry of Communications can be found here: http://www.in.gov.br/visualiza/index.jsp?data=07/02/2013&jornal=1&pagina=46&totalArquivos=131

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:
GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

British Writer, Actor, Fundraiser and Comedian David Walliams to Host Awards Ceremony at Mobile World Congress

London: The GSMA today announced nominees for the 18th annual Global Mobile Awards. The winners will be presented on Tuesday, 26th February at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, in an afternoon ceremony hosted by one of the UK’s best-loved writers, actors and comedians, David Walliams . In total, 158 nominees have been shortlisted for this year’s Global Mobile Awards; the full list of nominees and awards categories can be found at www.globalmobileawards.com/nominees-2013/

“The GSMA warmly congratulates all the nominees announced today. The competition this year was of an exceptionally high quality, breaking all previous records,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Our judging panel has assessed well over 600 entries and nominations for the 37 awards, the largest ever number of honours to be presented at the Global Mobile Awards. It is a tremendous achievement to have been shortlisted and we look forward to recognising the winners at Mobile World Congress next month.”

For 2013 the GSMA introduced several enhancements to the awards, such as the addition of the inaugural ‘Connected Life Awards’, and notable developments in the ‘Best Mobile Technology’ and ‘Apps of the Year’ categories. Thirty-two awards will be presented during the afternoon ceremony, which will begin at 2.30 pm in Hall 4, Conference Village, Auditorium 1, and will be open to all Global Mobile Awards nominees, Mobile World Congress Platinum, Gold and Silver Pass conference attendees and accredited press and analysts attending the Congress.

Also being awarded on Tuesday 26 th February are the expanded Government Leadership Awards, which recognise governments from around the world for their innovation and leadership in use of mobile technologies in the public sector; the presentation of these awards will take place at the Government Mobile Forum. The GSMA’s prestigious Chairman’s Award 2013 will be presented at the Leadership Summit on Monday 25 th February.

The award for the ‘Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet at Mobile World Congress 2013′ will be identified and selected from those on show at the event. The shortlist for this award will be announced on both Mobile World Live TV and the Global Mobile Awards website on 27 th February, with the winner being honoured in a live presentation on Mobile World Live TV the following day.

The Global Mobile Awards 2013 host David Walliams shot to fame through his work, with co-creator Matt Lucas, on the television series “Little Britain ” and later “Come Fly With Me.” “Little Britain” has won numerous international awards including three BAFTAs and has been shown in more than 100 countries. In addition to a wide variety of television, stage and film roles, David has worked tirelessly for various charities raising over £7 million, and in September 2011, he swam the length of the River Thames (140 miles) for Sports Relief, raising £1 million in the process. He has also authored a number of best-selling children’s books and is a judge on “Britain’s Got Talent.”

To select the nominees for the 2013 awards, more than 160 independent analysts, journalists, academics and subject matter experts throughout the world participated in the judging process. In addition, the chief technology officers of 14 mobile operators took part in judging the ‘ Outstanding Overall Mobile Technology’ award, including CTOs from 3, Etisalat, KT, M1, Movistar, MTN, NTT DoCoMo, Optus, SK Telecom, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile, VimpelCom and Vodafone.

2013 Global Mobile Awards sponsors include: McAfee (Apps of the Year), Myriad (Social & Economic Development) and Telmap (Connected Life Awards and Best Mobile Services). Market data for the ‘Best Mobile App for Consumers’ and ‘Best Mobile App for Enterprise’ categories was provided by Distimo.

Full information on the Global Mobile Awards can be found at www.globalmobileawards.com .

The Mobile World Congress 2013 will be held 25 th – 28 th February at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. For further details please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com .

-ENDS-

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851
GSMAPressOffice@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

ETNO and GSMA Reiterate Commitment to High Standards of Protection of Personal Data

Brussels – ETNO and the GSMA call on the European Parliament and Council to work towards the timely adoption of the EU Data Protection Regulation and to ensure that the final text reaches the proper balance between protecting consumers and driving economic growth.

On the occasion of European Data Protection Day, the GSMA and ETNO held a joint interactive workshop on the General Data Protection proposal with members of the Council’s Working Party on Information Exchange and Data Protection (DAPIX) and representatives of the Member States’ Permanent Representations. Following this workshop, the organisations then jointly hosted a dinner for representatives of the Irish EU presidency, including MEP Sean Kelly and representatives from the Irish Department of Justice and Equality and the European Commission.

“ETNO believes that the EC draft Regulation would be a major step towards better harmonisation of data protection throughout the EU, leading to increased consumer trust and enhancing the Digital Single Market. ETNO welcomes the introduction of the same obligations for all players offering services to EU citizens, independently of their location, ensuring that EU consumers enjoy a consistent level of protection of their data”, said Daniel Pataki, ETNO Director.

“ Policy makers now have an unprecedented opportunity to create a harmonised and consistent set of rules providing legal certainty for individuals and business,” said Martin Whitehead, Director, GSMA Europe. “This can make it easier for individuals to understand and manage their privacy, irrespective of the technology they use, where a service is provided from, or where their data is processed. However, to achieve this, we believe it is necessary to ensure consistency between the proposed data protection regulation and the ePrivacy Directive, and perhaps consider whether two sets of rules are required .”

Sean Kelly, Member of the European Parliament, noted that “ it is imperative that we streamline and simplify rules to stimulate innovation, reduce the administrative burden and create an environment where new ideas, new companies and new jobs can flourish. Trust is an important part of innovation – new products and services need to retain the trust of citizens. Therefore a flexible, clear data protection regulation will serve as a framework for trust, innovation and creativity.”

ETNO and GSMA members are committed to ensuring consumer confidence and trust in a world of new innovative services and data use. The organisations call for flexibility in the regulation, and suggest many of its key objectives can be achieved by privacy by design, privacy assurance schemes and effective accountability measures. In addition, sanctions should be proportionate and applied according to objective criteria, including the harm caused to individuals. A balanced approach can help realise the benefits of the digital economy for consumers, citizens and business.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

About ETNO
ETNO’s 37 member companies and 12 observers, including leading telecoms operators and equipment manufacturers, from Europe and beyond represent a significant part of total ICT activity in Europe. They account for an aggregate annual turnover of more than €600 billion and employ over 1.6 million people. ETNO companies are the main drivers of broadband and are committed to its continual growth in Europe.

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA:
Sabina Gockel (Brussels)
T: +32 (0)487 635 145
E: SGockel@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

For ETNO:
Thierry Dieu, ETNO Director for Communications and Public Policy
T: (32-2) 219 32 42
F: (32-2) 219 64 12
E: dieu@etno.be

GSMA Initiative Reinforces European Mobile Operators’ Commitment to Consumer Privacy

Launched on European Privacy Day, New Accountability Measures Aim to Enhance User Confidence in Mobile Apps

Brussels: To mark European Privacy Day¹, the GSMA is announcing new mobile industry commitments to reinforce privacy protection for mobile app users. Building on the success of the GSMA’s Privacy Design Guidelines² published last year, a number of European mobile operators are participating in a new initiative that ensures the effective and consistent implementation of these Guidelines and holds operators directly accountable for securing the privacy of all customers who use theirown-branded mobile apps.

By signing up to an Accountability Framework, a new tool published today and with the potential for application across the mobile ecosystem, GSMA members can now formally commit to ensuring their business practices are compliant with the Guidelines. The core elements of the Framework include:

• Organisational commitment: confirming senior management buy-in and appropriate delegation to ensure the Guidelines are implemented consistently across an organisation’s operations;
• Internal programme controls: including staff guidance on practical application of the Guidelines and systems for customers to report privacy-related complaints and incidents; and
• Enforcement for noncompliant organisations: ongoing noncompliance or serious breaches will lead to appropriate sanctions.

“The GSMA and its members were the first to address the ongoing challenges of mobile app privacy through our Guidelines last year,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer, GSMA. “Now, we continue to lead in this space by introducing this Framework – a direct response to calls for greater responsibility and accountability in the area of app privacy. If adopted across the mobile ecosystem, these Guidelines and Framework would help ensure consistent and comprehensive levels of protection for consumers across multiple platforms.”

Since the publication of the Guidelines, a number of European mobile operators have begun to implement them for their own-branded mobile apps, including Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telekom Austria, Telenor, TeliaSonera and Vodafone. The Guidelines are already influencing thinking and policy in different regions around the world.³. 

“The Framework and Guidelines will help us, as well as the developer community, to create exciting applications and provide greater transparency and security with mobile apps,” commented Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO of Telekom Austria Group. “This is especially important for social networks and cloud services where we observe a growing concern among users regarding their personal data. Our own apps have a very high level of privacy and we take the protection of personal data of our customers extremely seriously.”

“The GSMA’s mobile privacy Guidelines are the most comprehensive attempt to date to embed the principle of privacy-by-design in the creation and development of mobile applications,” said Stephen Deadman, Group Privacy Officer for Vodafone. “Accountability forms an essential element in Vodafone’s privacy programme, and in ensuring privacy-by-design in our app development process. These principles will help companies across the ecosystem create the internal governance and assurance processes to ensure the guidelines are effectively implemented and deliver better privacy experiences for mobile users in practice.”

Phillips continued: “App privacy will remain an important public policy issue for the foreseeable future. This is shown by the intention of the EU Article 29 Working Party to issue an opinion on mobile app privacy in February 2013 and by EU Commissioner Reding’s express reference to the importance of app privacy in her speech⁴ last month. The GSMA will continue to reach out and work with diverse stakeholders to advance app privacy in the interests of safeguarding the confidence and trust of mobile users.”

To view the Accountability Framework, please follow this link: http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/mobile-and-privacy/resources

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Notes to Editors

¹On January 28, the world celebrates Privacy Day which recognises the importance of privacy for human values and fundamental freedoms. European Privacy Day 2013 highlights the value of privacy and data protection in European societies and engages citizens in privacy relevant activities. Find out more at http://www.europeanprivacyday.org/

²The GSMA Privacy Design Guidelines for Mobile Application Development were published in February 2012: http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/mobile-and-privacy/design-guidelines

³The GSMA Guidelines are referenced in a number of important, international contexts including:

• The US Federal Trade Commission’s report “Mobile Apps for Kids: Disclosures Still Not Making the Grade”:http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/12/kidsapp.shtm
• The publication of “Good Privacy Practices for Developing Mobile Apps” by the Privacy Commissioners of Canada:http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/gd_app_201210_e.asp
• The Future of Privacy Forum in their submission to the US National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s (NTIA) efforts on developing a mobile privacy code of conduct: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/future_of_privacy_forum–comments_on_mshp_040212.pdf
• “Privacy on the Go: Recommendations for the Mobile Ecosystem”7, issued by the California Attorney General, Kamala Harris:http://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-issues-guidance-how-mobile-apps-can-better

⁴http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-12-897_en.htm

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA:
Sabina Gockel (Brussels)
T: +32 (0)487 635 145
E: SGockel@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office
press@gsma.com

GSMA to Showcase an Integrated Range of Mobile NFC Services Throughout Fira Gran Via and the City of Barcelona

Barcelona: The GSMA today announced the NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress, an interactive experience through which exhibitors, vendors, and attendees use mobile Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to exchange information and conduct transactions. The GSMA also announced several new keynote speakers for the Mobile World Congress conference programme, as well as new sponsors participating across key programmes at the event. Mobile World Congress will take place 25-28 February at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

“We’re excited to launch the NFC Experience for Mobile World Congress, as it provides attendees to the event the opportunity to experience first-hand the power of NFC technology both throughout the Mobile World Congress venue, as well as in the city of Barcelona,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “We hope that all attendees will take advantage of the many benefits of NFC, from venue access to retail transactions to transport, among others.”

New for Mobile World Congress 2013 – NFC Experience
As part of the new NFC Experience at Mobile World Congress, the GSMA will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services. Attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout the Fira Gran Via and in the city. NFC touch points will be abundant throughout Congress, rewarding those who ‘tap’ with instant access to information such as downloads on the conference sessions and keynotes, as well as information on restaurants and tourist attractions around Barcelona itself. The NFC Experience features:

• NFC Centre – A dedicated zone in the heart of Congress Square will be one of the key locations to visit and see NFC-enabled handsets and their capabilities as well as gaining information on the NFC ecosystem, NFC smart posters, NFC partner pods and a dedicated NFC support function;

• NFC Interactive Zones – More than a dozen NFC Interactive Zones will be located along the walkways, entrances and exhibition halls of Fira Gran Via . Comprising a series of linked smart posters, attendees can use their NFC-enabled handsets to access exhibitor directories, venue information, nearby conveniences and many other useful services offered during Mobile World Congress;
• Barcelona City NFC Locations – Strategic NFC touch points will be available at the airport, key hotels, selected restaurants and central tourist locations and attendees can take a taxi and pay for goods in select shops with NFC; and
• Virtual NFC Badge – During registration, attendees with NFC-enabled handsets (Android 4 and above or Windows Phone 8 operating system) can opt into the NFC Experience and get full show entry with it and their physical badge, but without the need to repeatedly present a physical photo ID to gain access to the venue.

New Mobile World Congress Keynotes
CEOs and senior executives from companies across the mobile ecosystem and around the globe joined the keynote programme at Mobile World Congress, including:

• Xi Guohua, Chairman, China Mobile
• Dennis Crowley, Founder and CEO, Foursquare
• Marc Dillon, CEO, Jolla Mobile
• César Alierta, Executive Chairman and CEO, Telefónica
• Paul Gunning, CEO, Tribal DDB Worldwide and Global Chief Digital Officer, DDB

These executives join previously announced Mobile World Congress keynote speakers:

• Randall Stephenson, Chairman, President and CEO, AT&T
• Axel Dauchez, CEO, Deezer
• René Obermann, CEO, Deutsche Telekom
• Drew Houston, Founder and CEO, Dropbox
• Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson
• Stephen Girsky, Vice Chairman, General Motors
• Franco Bernabè, Chairman, GSMA and Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia Group
• Kevin Johnson, CEO, Juniper Networks
• Suk-Chae Lee, Chairman and CEO, KT Corp.
• Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla
• Susan Whiting, Vice Chair, Nielsen
• Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia
• Kaoru Kato, President and CEO, NTT DOCOMO
• Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Qtel Group
• Paul Jacobs, Chairman and CEO, Qualcomm
• Talmon Marco, Founder and CEO, Viber Media
• Vittorio Colao, Chief Executive, Vodafone Group

For more information on the Mobile World Congress keynotes, as well as the full conference programme, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/conference .

New Supporting Sponsors for App Planet, mPowered Brands
The GSMA announced new Supporting Sponsors for its App Planet and mPowered Brands Programmes. On Tuesday, 26th February, GSMA OneAPI will be holding an app developer conference as part of App Planet, which brings together mobile industry leaders and the application development community to participate in programmes focusing on the explosive growth in the mobile apps market, as well as exhibition, product and service demonstrations, networking and workshops. For more information, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/app-planet-overview/ .

In the mPowered Brands Programme, Rubicon will be hosting a mPowered Brands Theatre session on Monday, 25 th February, and McCann WorldGroup will host a mPowered Brands session on Wednesday, 27 th February. Also in mPowered Brands, Telefónica is a Supporting Sponsor of the mPowered Brands Open Forum session on Monday, 25 th February which will present the results of a consumer research study being undertaken by the GSMA and Leger Marketing. For more information on mPowered Brands, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/mpoweredbrands-overview .

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital also includes the Mobile World Centre, the Mobile World Festival and the Mobile World Hub, programmes and activities that will span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com .

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About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem , including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com

 
Media Contact:
For the GSMA
Abigail Faylor: +44 (0) 2070 670 851