Señoras y señores, buenas noches, bona nit, good evening ladies and gentlemen.
Antes de nada, quiero darles a todos mi más sincera bienvenida a Barcelona, a Cataluña, a España, a esta nueva edición del Mobile World Congress que convertirá por unos días a nuestro país en el centro de las nuevas tecnologías móviles. Espero que sus días aquí sean muy productivos; estoy completamente seguro de que así será.
També vull começar agraint a l’organització la seva invitació, una vegada més, per presidir i participar a la inauguració del Mobile. Fa ja 11 anys que us acompanyo –cosa que m’honra profundament- i, per suposat, sempre és un plaer poder-vos trobar de nou aquí, a Barcelona, ciutat cosmopolita, a l’avantguarda de la innovació, per conèixer tots els avenços en l’àmbit de la telefonia mòbil durant el darrer any a tot el món". Gràcies y moltes felicitats.
So welcome everyone! It is so great to see you here back in Barcelona for what is to be a truly recovered WMC as we knew it. We’ve all gone through some tough times and indeed there are still very difficult for many, we should not forget.
As Mats Granryd has said, this year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first call made on a mobile phone. And I would like to remind you that the call was made by none other than our dear and much admired Martin Cooper, who was honoured in 2009 with the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research, which he shared with Raymond Samuel Tomlinson, who created e-mail.
After all these years, five decades later, we all know perfectly well that mobile phones are not only an instrument for communication, but also a tool for work, and a venue for our professional and social relationships. In our time, access to mobile phones is very widespread, which is why it is so important to continue advancing in facilitating communication and access to networks; in sum, to improve connectivity.
As you all know, we face a new international atmosphere of instability and uncertainty, which have a direct impact on the global economy. The new challenges that we must face, after having lived through a devastating pandemic, mainly originate from the severe energy crisis owing to the war in Ukraine, which comes hand in hand with a clear rise of geopolitical tensions. Remember last year. Just as we opened the MWC, Russia was initiating its devastating new phase of aggression against Ukraine. We stand by and support the Ukrainian people in their legitimate defence, in their freedom sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the new world we face, mobile connectivity continues to be a vital form of social support. We have all been able to see how it enabled us to stay connected and united with the most vulnerable people in areas impacted by conflicts and natural disasters. Wherever there is a connected mobile device, there is hope, there is opportunity, there is help... I am sure this has been the care after the horrific earthquakes in Trukey / Siria. Our hearts also go out to all those suffering the loss and aftermath.
The great news is that mobile connectivity keeps on growing. In fact, figures from late 2022 show that more than 5.4 billion people worldwide have subscribed to a mobile telephone service, of whom 4.4 billion also use the internet through their mobile phones. During the past year, mobile technologies and services generated 5% of the global GDP, showing the growing importance of this sector in the world economy as a whole.
In this regard, we are also witnessing how 5G networks are going to be the foundation for innovation and the mobile services of the future. This year, the adoption of 5G networks is expected to reach 17% of the world total, reaching new markets in such continents as Africa and Asia, making it a truly global trend.
"...I would like to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on reaching the 17th edition of this international congress, and to thank you —on behalf of us all— for once again choosing our country to host this event, at which more than 80,000 participants and more than 1,000 speakers are expected. These substantial numbers speak for themselves and reflect the extraordinary magnitude and scope of the MWC... Without question, this event continues to represent the best opportunity for learning about −and sharing− perspectives and viewpoints on current issues in the industry, and for finding out how mobile technology is helping to tackle real world concerns and embrace real world opportunities. A congress that enables us to see into the future of our societies..."
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Mobile World Congress identifies well with Barcelona, and indeed Barcelona intensely does so with the MWC. Since 2006, this always amazing and exciting event has brought Spain —and this great city— much more than the value the trade fair itself provides. “The Mobile” is also a vital creator of wider economic prospects and opportunities benefiting our country. It is the world’s leading event on connectivity.
The motto of this edition is “Velocity: Unleashing tomorrow’s technology–today”. So true. The concept of velocity in today’s digital world is truly the key. In our society, everything is moving forward very fast (or at least that is my impression), and in the sector of digitalization, even more so, as we have seen in the past three years.
We all need to keep up to speed with this unstoppable trend, and deal with all its implications diligently, and with an eye for proper cooperation and convergence between public policy and business, between governments and the free market. Therefore, we should always do our best at upholding transparency, accountability, democratic values, basic human rights, social responsibility and a rule based order, to ensure a more humane impact of this accelerated trend in technological innovation.
Indeed, the industry of the new ICTs (information and communication technologies) is a priority for the institutions of the EU and Spain, putting digitalization at the heart of economic development, to transform the production model and stimulate economic growth in Spain and around the world.
In fact, digitalization is one of the main goals of the EU, which seeks to achieve greater connectivity by furthering the skills needed in every sector to innovate in the midst of changing political, social and macroeconomic factors.
Sustainability is another goal of the EU. Specifically, the mobile phone industry is evolving towards what is called circularity, going above −and beyond− corporate social responsibility to make sustainability an essential strategic priority. We are all seeing how stakeholders in the sector are increasingly adopting a production and consumption model that involves sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, renovating and recycling existing products for as long as possible. This circular approach is important so that networks can operate in a more sustainable and energy-efficient manner.
In this fast-moving development of digital technology, the metaverse continues to gain ground and fintech presents us with new opportunities. Both are transforming how consumers and companies interact with each other. I wan’t go into furthe details.
But I would like to take this opportunity to mention −as I do every year, due to its growing importance− one of the events held in parallel with the MWC. I am referring to the Four-Years-From-Now (4YFN) platform, a meeting place for all newly created tech companies, or start-ups. This forum continues to support the most brilliant start-ups in the digital space, connecting them with investors and other companies so that they can launch new business initiatives together. This forum ultimately seeks to build a better ecosystem for start-ups.
Speaking of making things better, I should stress how much work is being done, in different spheres, to support and promote the development of inclusive, just, and sustainable digital societies. In undertaking the digital transformation, we must focus on putting people first, and seek to close digital gaps, in line with the Charter of Digital Principles and Rights that –I am glad to know− will be submitted for approval at the next Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and of Govmt, scheduled for March 2023 in the Dominican Republic.
Dear members of the Board of the Mobile,
I would like to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on reaching the 17th edition of this international congress, and to thank you —on behalf of us all— for once again choosing our country to host this event, at which more than 80,000 participants and more than 1,000 speakers are expected. These substantial numbers speak for themselves and reflect the extraordinary magnitude and scope of the MWC.
Without question, this event continues to represent the best opportunity for learning about −and sharing− perspectives and viewpoints on current issues in the industry, and for finding out how mobile technology is helping to tackle real world concerns and embrace real world opportunities. A congress that enables us to see into the future of our societies.
I wish you all a very successful week. Enjoy your time among us. Thank you and see you next year.