Blog: GSMA unleashes MWC on Las Vegas
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Leading US mobile executives are set to join more than 200 speakers at MWC Las Vegas from 28 September to 30 September, as the GSMA prepares its next event under the theme of Connectivity Unleashed.
The event will be held in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre, which opened in 2021 offering 600,000 square-feet of exhibition space, the largest in North America.
GSMA CMO Lara Dewar told Mobile World Live (MWL) the entrance to the venue “is light-filled and features a 10,000-square-foot digital screen developed by Samsung”.
“The city is a great partner, and we hope this new venue and location inspire our members, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors”.
GSMA Intelligence head Peter Jarich noted Las Vegas is one of the leading digital cities in the US, with hotels and casinos pushing the envelope on indoor connectivity by developing and deploying their own base stations.
Due to its topology, mobile operators including Dish Wireless and Metro PCS have used Las Vegas as a proving ground for new services.
“You’ve also got autonomous driving companies in Las Vegas,” Jarich stated. “There’s all sorts of cool stuff that goes on there, which makes it a good place to connect if you’re trying to do networking”.
Dewar (pictured, left) anticipates more than 300 companies will exhibit at the event, with up to 10,000 delegates accessing more than 50 hours of curated content.
For getting around the centre, Dewar noted the West Hall is connected by the Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop, an underground transport system designed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.
“The system transports convention attendees throughout the 200-acre campus in under two minutes in Tesla vehicles, free of charge.”
Conference
Speakers from inside and outside the mobile industry are due to deliver keynotes at MWC Las Vegas (with more than half of keynoters in session one female).
These include T-Mobile US Business Group president Callie Field; Verizon head of consumer content and partnerships Erin McPherson and its consumer group COO Krista Bourne; and CTIA president and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker.
Among the other keynote speakers are GSMA director general Mats Granryd; Qualcomm SVP and GM for mobile, compute and XR Alex Katouzian; and Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas.
Themes
With Verizon as the event partner, MWC Las Vegas will feature four themes: 5G Connect, sponsored by T-Mobile for Business; Tech Horizon, sponsored by ServiceNow; CloudNet sponsored by AWS; and Internet of Everything.
The GSMA is running programmes and roundtables covering eSIM, mmWave 5G and open RAN.
“We’re seeing a lot of innovation out of North America with mmWave, so I think that one will be big,” Jarich noted, adding there would likely also be talk about satellite communications, a sector which “has become very important very quickly”.
Jarich stated recent research by GSMA Intelligence found sustainability initiatives and network security were top of mind for North American operators: “I think we will see those get a lot of focus.”
Beyond Dish Network, “open RAN hasn’t seen a big commitment from US operators, but there’s such a big push in general”.
At its Everything Policy track, the CTIA will host discussions with politicians and wireless industry stakeholders who focus on trends and developments in government and public policy.
Industry City on the showfloor will highlight how vertical industries are building a connected and digital future.
In addition to metaverse and Web 3.0, Dewar stated Industry City will also look at the manufacturing, smart mobility and fintech sectors in collaboration with headline sponsors Cisco and Microsoft Azure.
The GSMA Pavilion, next to Industry City, will feature live demonstrations including IoT, VR shopping and connected smart mobility.
Dewar also highlighted the HUB, “the start-up and innovation zone” for “investors and companies to learn, connect and launch new business ventures”.
The HUB was developed in partnership with non-profit StartUp Vegas and will feature fireside chats and an exhibition comprising 16 start-ups selected by Mobile World Capital Barcelona.
“I hope MWC inspires conversations that challenge the present, champion the future and create positive impact for the world,” Dewar noted.
MWL will provide in-depth coverage throughout the event, with keynotes streamed live , regular news reports and daily video round-ups.
The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.
