GSMA Calls On Industry And Governments To Deliver A Connected Europe Through Next-Generation Mobile Technology

A series of exclusive keynotes and panel discussions will be delivered by prominent figures from the telecoms, automotive, energy, health and education sectors who will discuss these developments with senior EU institutional representatives. Speakers include Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA; Thibaut Kleiner, Member of the Cabinet of Vice-President Neelie Kroes, European Commission; Karsten Ottenberg, CEO, Giesecke & Devrient; and Morten Karlsen Sorby, Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, Telenor Group.

A series of exclusive keynotes and panel discussions will be delivered by prominent figures from the telecoms, automotive, energy, health and education sectors who will discuss these developments with senior EU institutional representatives. Speakers include Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA; Thibaut Kleiner, Member of the Cabinet of Vice-President Neelie Kroes, European Commission; Karsten Ottenberg, CEO, Giesecke & Devrient; and Morten Karlsen Sorby, Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, Telenor Group.

Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA, commented: "Europe is experiencing successive waves of mobile connectivity. The first wave - Europe's GSM success - connected people on the move. The second wave brought mobile broadband at ever-increasing speeds to hundreds of millions of Europe's citizens and businesses. We are now seeing the third wave with mobile networks delivering connectivity to devices ranging from health monitors and smart meters to connected cars, transforming the face of industry and the lives of individuals."

Impact of Mobile in Europe

Europe has the highest mobile penetration rate in the world, with total connections of 135 per cent in Europe in 2012 (versus 87 per cent in Asia and 108 per cent in Northern America), and predicted to rise to 152 per cent by 2017. Meanwhile the penetration of unique mobile subscribers is currently at 76 per cent in the region and set to increase to 80 per cent by 2017(2).

Across Europe, it is forecast there will be 2.1 billion mobile connections by the end of this decade, an increase of more than 60 per cent from 1.3 billion today(3). Advanced mobile broadband networks are delivering faster data rates, low latency and expanding coverage, with currently 326 million mobile broadband connections in Europe alone(4).

Mobile connected devices in Europe are predicted to soar to almost 1 billion by 2020, with total connected devices estimated to reach almost 6 billion. Total revenues forecast for key industries in Europe through mobile connectivity by 2020 per year include almost 23 billion Euros for healthcare; 46 billion Euros for Smart Cities and utilities; and 48 billion Euros for the automotive and transport sector.

Meeting Key EU Challenges

The mobile industry now has the potential to meet four key EU challenges by:

Realising the Connected Europe

Private investment, enterprise and innovation will be vital for building a Connected Europe, with partnerships between industry sectors and between industry and government. However, EU institutions can enable the full and accelerated development of a Connected Europe by taking a supportive policy and regulatory approach that addresses key asks from the European mobile industry:

Connectivity - encourage investment in mobile broadband networks and reduce obstacles to their deployment

Content and services - enable development of innovative content, services and business models

Confidence - help build consumer trust in new services and encourage their take-up

Bouverot continued: "Europe has been an innovator and leader from the inception of mobile communications, although this leadership position has weakened in recent years. The third wave of mobile and the delivery of connected services present a new and substantial opportunity for future growth. It is my wish that the mobile industry and European institutions establish a positive policy framework that will continue to position Europe at the forefront of this exciting industry."

The Connected Europe event will include Connected Living, a showcase of live, interactive demonstrations and highly visual case studies looking at how mobile is transforming business, education, healthcare, utilities and transport.

Connected Europe: Supporting Growth with Mobile is taking place at L'Arsenal and La Chaufferie in Brussels on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 at 13:30-18:30.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

(1) Source: GSMA European Mobile Observatory 2011

(2) Source:GSMA Wireless Intelligence – research on global mobile subscriptions penetration, October 2012

(3) Source of all data relating to mobile connected devices, total connected devices, revenues for key industries and operators is Machina Research (November 2012)

(4) Source: GSMA Wireless Intelligence (November 2012)

(5) Summary of the potential impact of the mobile industry on Europe's four key 2020 targets:

Growth

Employment

Innovation

Sustainability

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