Inclusivity and Innovation Tops What’s Hot at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2020
It’s an exciting time to be part of the mobile industry. There are over five billion smartphone users worldwide today and this number will grow by 800 million in the next few years. What new innovations will be unveiled at this month’s Mobile World Congress Barcelona (MWC20)? We can’t wait to find out.
But MWC20 is more than a product showcase.
The event will also take an introspective look into the future of the industry, to “unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive”. Here’s a roundup of some the key trends shaping a more inclusive and sustainable mobile industry.
Fair Pricing to Drive the 5G Boom in 2020
5G promises 10 to 100 times faster speeds than 4G. The network opens new opportunities, but price remains a factor. For the everyday smartphone consumer, faster speeds and increased reliability are important. But ultimately our decision to buy is based on whether we can afford it.
Fair pricing of 5G phones will allow access to this robust network and drive revenues. Gartner Research expects 5G to drive global sales of smartphones past 1.5 billion units in 2020. The push for inclusive pricing is a win-win for companies and consumers alike.
Empowering Communities
MWC20 is not only about the next mobile device that will shake up the market. One of the key themes will be Our Planet. The program will ask the timely question: How can the mobile industry help societies have a positive impact on the earth’s ecosystem? It’s a call to action for this sector to create a safe, clean and equitable world.
One game changer is mobile money. Mobile money technology enables a user to perform banking transactions with their cell phone. Mobile money empowers women in rural communities by giving them access to financial services that they were previously cut off from, because banks are too far away or too costly to reach.
The mobile money industry is only a decade old yet already has transactions valued at over $1.3 billion every day. However, there are 1.7 billion people who remain financially excluded. What advancements can the mobile money industry make to narrow this gap? MTN Group, Vodacom, Millicom and the United Nations will take to the stage at MWC20 to explore this topic.
Open Culture Drives Innovation
Digital transformation is moving at a faster pace than ever. Companies are under great pressure to create a seamless experience that wins new customers, solidifies brand loyalty and drives revenues. How did Telefónica and Rakuten deliver personalized digital customer experiences across all channels? How are companies mixing artificial and human intelligence to improve customer engagement? Panels at this year’s MWC20 will seek to answer these questions.
The need to be more agile and stay ahead of the competition also drives companies to look within their organizations to make impactful change. Creating a corporate culture that promotes diversity and inclusion has positive results. Forbes have found that “Inclusive teams make better decisions up to 87% of the time. Diverse teams delivered 60% better results.” This is reinforced by Gallup´s recognition that “Combining employee engagement and gender diversity resulted in 46% to 58% higher financial performance.”
Executives from Vodafone Business, Verizon, Turkcell and Red Hat will be at MWC20 to share how diversity and inclusion can be a catalyst for true, open innovation.
The Next Generation of Mobile Leaders
The MWC20 agenda reflects the boundless influence of mobile in our world today – and in the years to come. The mobile industry is full of opportunity beyond creating the next cool smartphone. Are you ready to gain the skills you need to become one of the next mobile technology leaders? At EU Business School, programs including a Bachelor in Digital Business, Design and Innovation, a Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship or an MBA in International Business, will equip you with the experience and expertise needed to thrive in the burgeoning mobile industry.
