The theme of this year’s Mobile World Congress, which kicks off in Barcelona on Monday, is “Mobile is Everything” — but that’s not intended as just a feel-good marketing message. In addition to providing a launching pad for many new communication tech products, the 2016 event is putting a focus on the potential of mobile technology to improve the lives of billions of people around the world.
In fact, at the same time the Mobile World Congress is taking place, the event organizers, the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association), will also be hosting their annual Ministerial Programme, a platform for discussing “the most pressing issues affecting the future of the mobile industry.”
Organized under the theme of “Connecting Everyone and Everything to a Better Future,” this year’s event will focus on the role of mobile technology in global economic and social development.
The Mobile World Congress will also feature plenty of shiny new product debuts and pre-opening press events. Major launches expected this year include the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the LG Pay mobile payment system and LG G5 smartphone, and the Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone, along with other new devices from HTC, Huawei and Sony.
“There are about 4 billion people around the world who still don’t have access to the Internet,” Matthew Bloxham, head of the GSMA Connected Society, said today in a blog post on the GSMA Web site. “The majority of these people live in developing markets where fixed line networks often have limited reach, meaning that the mobile industry has a key role to play in bringing the unconnected online.”
One segment of the global population — women — needs special attention, according to a recent study by the GSMA. Released in October, the “Connected Women 2015” report…
