MWC LA 2021: 5G momentum continues as operators take the stage  

After 18 months of recovery, adaptation and rapid innovation, today marks the highly anticipated return of MWC to Los Angeles. In partnership with CTIA, the GSMA once again convenes North America’s mobile industry leaders at the Los Angeles Convention Center, October 26 to 28, to explore first-hand how the 5G era, IoT connectivity, telco cloud and, disruptive technologies are shaping the future. More than 170 experts have been confirmed to speak, including AT&T, Verizon, Intel, IBM and Google.

“Today marks the first day in two years that North America’s mobile ecosystem leaders have had the opportunity to come together in-person at MWC LA. This year’s theme, Connected Impact, is all about recognizing the power of mobile technology to affect meaningful change. And whilst we continue to wrestle with defining a new normal, let’s remember to celebrate the resilience and progress the industry has made despite a time of extraordinary challenges. Our exhibitors, partners and attendees are committed to inspiring change, sharing insights and, moving forward a new era of connectivity as we look to a post-pandemic future,” said Mats Granryd, Director General of GSMA.”

Mobile Economy North America 2021

GSMA Intelligence’s Mobile Economy North America 2021 report will also launch at MWC LA. The report shows that North American mobile operators continued the momentum in 5G adoption throughout 2020. By the end of 2025, 5G forecast will account for almost two-thirds of mobile connections, equivalent to nearly 270 million connections.

The research finds that operators in the region demonstrated resilience and continued leadership in 5G deployment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite various restrictions related to virus containment, the mobile industry played a vital role in keeping society and economies everywhere connected when they needed it most.

The report scrutinizes the key trends shaping the digital landscape in North America, such as open RAN, telco/cloud partnerships, and enterprise IoT. It also outlines steps leaders should take to support economic growth, including policy recommendations for accelerating the investments and innovation needed to achieve 5G’s full potential and empower operators’ network transformation journeys.

Other key findings include:

• Mobile operators in North America will invest $300 billion in their networks between 2020 and 2025, of which 98% will be dedicated to 5G.
• 5G coverage and open RAN top RAN priorities, while virtualization investments and security are critical for the core network.
• Despite growing confidence in open and virtualized RAN, there is recognition that accelerated measures are needed to ensure equipment interoperability, security, reliability, and sufficient systems integration capabilities and skills.
• The urgency to deploy IoT projects is stronger in the U.S. than in other countries, with around two in five companies planning to deploy IoT within a year, and one in five targeting deployments within two years.
• The UN’s Race to Zero campaign declared that the mobile industry made a critical ‘breakthrough’ in early 2021, as more than a third of operators by revenue had committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.

“As we kick off MWC Los Angeles, I’m proud that mobile operators continue to accelerate network transformation strategies and that industry prospects remain strong,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “In my memory, I can’t think of a tougher moment than the one we’ve been in with Covid-19. The past 18 months challenged us all – personally and professionally. Through it all, mobile technology demonstrated resilience and continued to innovate and contribute to the social issues of our time, like climate change. I am excited to meet many of the people making change at this year’s show.”

With compelling keynotes and world-class exhibitions, the conference gathers U.S. policymakers and key wireless industry stakeholders to create a brighter future, advance human progress and re-imagine possibilities.

Be sure not to miss keynotes from AT&T’s David Christopher, CTIA’s Meredith Attwell Baker, T-Mobile’s Neville Ray and, Verizon’s Sampath Sowmyanarayan, among others. A live stream of all the keynote addresses and select conference and partner sessions will be available on Mobile World Live TV.
CT Bureau