Latest news with #VivekBadrinath
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GSMA's Badrinath on China's Telecom Sector Outlook
Vivek Badrinath, Director General at GSMA, discusses his outlook for China's mobile & telecom sector outlook, as the country adopts 5G and artificial intelligence technology in these industries to boost connectivity. He speaks with Stephen Engle on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress Shanghai on "Bloomberg: The Asia Trade".
ILoveQatar.net
08-06-2025
- Business
- ILoveQatar.net
MWC25 Doha Set for November, driving digital transformation and innovation in the Middle East
Preparations for GSMA MWC25 Doha are in full swing as the GSMA and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology work closely together to deliver the highly anticipated inaugural Doha edition of the world-renowned MWC series. MWC25 Doha will take place from Nov. 25-26, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from around the world, with a focus on advancing the next generation of digital societies in the Middle East and globally. It is the combination of exhibition, thought leadership, startups, and policymakers that makes MWC unique and impactful, where business gets done. The announcement to host MWC in Doha comes as Qatar develops its position as a global digital hub. MWC25 Doha provides a platform for partnerships and progress and will help advance digital transformation across the Middle East, and power Qatar and the region's growing influence in global tech innovation. The inaugural edition's conference tracks and keynotes will provide an inspirational thought leadership program and will feature conference tracks, summits, and keynotes aligned with three core themes: AI Nexus, Intelligent Economies, and Connected Industries. High-level summits will address key topics including AI, data infrastructure, 5G, cybersecurity, fintech, smart mobility, and IoT, providing a platform for global thought leaders to shape the future of technology. HE Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai said: "MWC25 Doha is a strategic milestone in achieving the goals of Qatar's Digital Agenda 2030 and Qatar National Vision 2030. This prominent event reflects Qatar's commitment to positioning itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, investing in technology, and developing a future-ready digital infrastructure. MWC25 Doha will also serve as a catalyst for international collaboration, bringing together global leaders, innovators, and policymakers to accelerate the pace of digital transformation and build a diverse, knowledge-based economy in Qatar." In turn, GSMA's Director General Vivek Badrinath said: "As our host city for MWC in the Middle East, Doha exemplifies the region's growing leadership in advancing the next generation of digital societies. Qatar’s proactive stance on innovation, from 5G expansion and Smart Cities to AI-powered data centres and sustainable investments, makes it an ideal location for MWC25 and an unmissable experience for stakeholders and businesses in the region." The GSMA is a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop, and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India playing strategic role in early 6G discussions: GSMA's Vivek Badrinath
NEW DELHI: London-based GSMA said that high spectrum prices could slow down network investment by telecom carriers, and said that industry's current focus remains on realising the full potential of 5G and 5GA. In an interaction with ETTelecom's Muntazir Abbas, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath, talks on GSMA Open Gateway, spectrum pricing, 5G expansion, 5G-Advanced, Artificial Intelligence (AI), next generation (6G) technology, and non-terrestrial services. Edited excerpts. What are the top 2-3 immediate priority areas for GSMA currently? One of my immediate priorities is addressing the usage gap - nearly 3 billion people live within mobile broadband coverage but remain unconnected. Tackling it requires a mix of affordable devices, relevant content, digital skills, and enabling regulation. We are also scaling industry-wide initiatives like GSMA Open Gateway, which makes it easier for developers to innovate by opening up operator networks through standardised APIs. For example, Reliance Jio is using GSMA Open Gateway to spot and prevent fraud through the SIM Swap API. And as AI brings exciting opportunities, we're focused on ensuring networks are ready to support it; that we democratise access to AI tools across the industry; and that the technology serves the mobile ecosystem to best effect. We do this through initiatives like GSMA Open-Telco LLM Benchmarks, which evaluates AI models to ensure that they are optimised for accuracy, efficiency and safety in telecom use cases. GSMA believes that spectrum pricing worldwide should come down. But, governments follow a regulatory process and it may impact their revenues. Your comments? We fully recognise that spectrum is a valuable natural resource and that governments must weigh fiscal priorities. However, there's clear evidence that high spectrum prices can slow network investment and impact coverage - especially in rural and low-income areas. Our latest GSMA Global Spectrum Pricing Report shows that global cumulative spectrum costs now account for 7% of operator revenues - a 63% increase over the past ten years. That kind of burden has long-term consequences for connectivity and digital inclusion. Getting pricing and licensing conditions right isn't just about industry sustainability; it's about enabling innovation, economic growth, and better services for consumers. We advocate for policies that take the broader view - where well-designed spectrum awards more value for societies than short-term revenue maximisation. What are the new frequency bands you suggest for 5G expansion in Asia, and particularly in India? The success of 5G - and especially 5G-Advanced - depends on access to a balanced mix of low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum. In Asia, and in India particularly, the upper 6 GHz band offers strong potential. It strikes the right balance between coverage and capacity and has been identified at WRC-23 as a key candidate band for IMT in many parts of the world. The mmWave 26 GHz band is also essential - especially for ultra-high throughput use cases in dense urban and industrial settings. Making these bands available under investment-friendly conditions will be key to unlocking the full economic and societal benefits of 5G. Lately, mobile carriers are embracing AI at edge. What according to GSMA are the real benefits that AI can drive for end users? AI is becoming integral to the mobile experience - and edge deployment brings it closer to users, enabling faster, smarter, and more personalised services. For consumers, this means better performance and new applications in areas like health, transport, and education. For operators, it's about building more efficient, intelligent networks. As an industry, we must ensure this next wave of AI innovation is secure, interoperable, and developed responsibly. That's where GSMA plays a key role - by fostering cross-industry collaboration, open standards, and policy frameworks that support both innovation and trust. A recent example is the GSMA Responsible AI Roadmap, which outlines actionable steps to support the ethical and inclusive deployment of AI across the mobile ecosystem. There has been a fair share debate from OTT players. What according to you can be the best approach for the telecom regulator in India, and those globally? We believe in a balanced and collaborative approach. OTT players and mobile operators both benefit from - and contribute to - the digital ecosystem. There are growing concerns around the sustainability of network investment. Regulators should ensure a level playing field that encourages ongoing infrastructure development, while fostering innovation and consumer choice. Transparent, future-ready frameworks are essential and that includes considering fair contribution models and shared responsibility for network resilience. What are the key challenges and benefits for 5G-Advanced. By when do you expect it to pick up? The primary challenge in delivering 5G-Advanced (5GA) are the upgrades needed to infrastructure, but it represents a significant evolution of 5G. 5GA introduces enhanced capabilities such as improved uplink performance, AI-native networks and support for advanced use cases like industrial automation and immersive services. These advancements will enable smarter, more adaptive networks, delivering enhanced user experiences and opening new opportunities across various sectors. There are already early commercial implementations, but GSMA anticipates broader adoption in the latter half of the decade. This timeline aligns with the finalisation of 3GPP Release 18 and the maturation of the supporting ecosystem. By addressing these challenges collaboratively, the industry can unlock the full potential of 5GA, driving innovation and delivering substantial benefits to consumers and enterprises alike. How do you see convergence between terrestrial 6G and space broadband services? What are the collaboration opportunities between the two? Our current focus remains on realising the full potential of 5G and 5GA. Part of that is working to support the convergence of existing terrestrial networks with non-terrestrial network technologies to deliver connectivity in under-served areas, for mobile users and for industrial applications such as IoT. How do you see the role of India in 6G technology as the standardization process moves toward maturity. How many 6G patents have been filed so far globally and what is the share of Asian countries including India? India is playing an increasingly active and strategic role in early 6G discussions - particularly through initiatives like the Bharat 6G Alliance and its engagement with international standard-setting bodies. These contributions are vital to ensuring that the next generation of mobile technology reflects global diversity and supports broader development goals. At the GSMA, our focus remains on ensuring that the evolution of mobile communications is inclusive, collaborative, and informed by the successes and lessons of previous generations. While various organisations monitor patent activity, our priority is to support global coordination that leads to interoperable, secure, and future-ready networks. In a few countries including the US, spectrum in the 7.125 – 8.400 GHz band is identified as 6G-led future connectivity. Your views on governments readiness across geographies? We are still in the early stages of defining what 6G will be, and commercial deployments are many years away. At this point, the most important priority is to ensure that governments and regulators remain engaged in international coordination to avoid fragmentation. Some countries have started exploring future spectrum needs, but overall readiness varies. What's clear is that the lessons from 5G should guide us: early planning, global harmonisation, and investment-friendly policies will be key to delivering the next generation of mobile technology effectively. For now, the focus should remain on fully realising the potential of 5G and 5G-Advanced, which are already transforming connectivity and services across the world. Last year, ITU formed a subsea cable protection group on the backdrop of rising threats out of geopolitical tensions. What are GSMA efforts in this direction? Subsea cables are fundamental to global digital infrastructure, including mobile networks, and their protection is increasingly important as geopolitical and environmental risks grow. We strongly support international collaboration to safeguard all layers of connectivity infrastructure. Our focus is on promoting resilient, secure mobile networks and working with governments, operators, and international bodies to ensure that policies reflect the need for long-term infrastructure integrity. The more connected our world becomes, the more essential it is to treat digital resilience as a shared global priority.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ensure sustainability of network investments: GSMA chief to regulators
NEW DELHI: Regulators worldwide should ensure a level-playing field and facilitate infrastructure deployment following concerns around sustainability of network investments in the wake of over-the-top (OTT) or mobile app-based services, a top GSMA executive said. 'There are growing concerns around the sustainability of network investment. Regulators should ensure a level playing field that encourages ongoing infrastructure development, while fostering innovation and consumer choice,' Vivek Badrinath , director-general, GSMA, told ETTelecom. In April this year, London-based GSMA appointed Badrinath to the top GSMA executive leadership role replacing Mats Granryd. WhatsApp , Messenger, Telegram, Viber and Google Talk are some of the leading mobile communication applications with operators demanding a 'fair share' from them for carrying data traffic on their networks. On the contrary, OTT providers argue that telcos should be the ones paying mobile app players for pushing data traffic onto their networks. More than 70% of the data traffic on telecom networks is being generated by OTT providers alone. Further, Badrinath said that a transparent, and future-ready regulatory framework would be essentially required, considering "fair contribution models" and shared responsibility for network resilience. 'We believe in a balanced and collaborative approach, OTT players and mobile operators both benefit from - and contribute to - the digital ecosystem,' the top GSMA executive added. Like other nations, India does not have a policy framework or regulatory regime for OTT platforms. The Delhi-based Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) that represents Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, said that since telecom service providers and OTT communication players offer same service, a level-playing field should be ensured with the former spending huge money in spectrum purchase and network deployment. India's telco group also advocated that players who are large traffic generators (LTG) must also pay a fair share to network service operators toward capital expenditure (capex) in putting up telecom infrastructure. In 2023, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) released a consultation paper seeking comments from stakeholders on the regulatory mechanism for a selective ban of OTT players. Incumbent telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) in a response to telecom watchdog, favoured a compensation model from mobile apps, for deploying and maintaining telecom networks by them that enables OTT platforms to offer seamless services to their subscribers. Earlier, head of Asia Pacific at GSMA Julian Gorman said that "a fair share contribution by tech companies or OTT players would bring motivation to investors." The mobile data traffic is expected to reach 415 million terabytes per month by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.8% from 2024 to 2030, according to a recent Research and Markets study. The finding by the Dublin-based research firm attributed escalating video streaming consumption and social media content in addition to next generation or 5G networks as key data traffic growth drivers worldwide. Early this year, the German market reserach firm Statista in a study said that the OTT video users are likely to reach 4.9 billion by 2029.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tashkent hosts GSMA M360 as Eurasia's digital economy grows
The summit highlights the growing role of digital technologies in the region's economic development and coincides with the release of the GSMA's latest Mobile Economy Eurasia report. The report projects that mobile technologies will contribute €238 billion to Eurasia's economy by 2030, equivalent to 8.3% of the region's GDP. This forecast is driven by the growth of smartphone usage, expanded internet access, and the accelerating rollout of 5G networks. The choice of Tashkent as host city reflects Uzbekistan's rising profile as a regional digital leader. Since launching wide-ranging reforms in 2017, the country has opened up its economy, encouraged foreign investment, and promoted innovation in the tech sector. Today, Uzbekistan is home to more than 9,700 ICT companies and 200,000 tech professionals, with services exported to 90 countries and a total turnover of €4.1 billion. 'Uzbekistan has undergone one of the most successful transformations in the world,' Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO of VEON, said. 'With a population of 40 million and over one million babies born every year, the country is demographically strong and full of potential.' Vivek Badrinath, Director General of GSMA, stressed the broader economic impact of mobile sector growth. 'A $1 increase in the mobile economy generates $6 in GDP. When governments create investment-friendly environments and key sectors like banking or transport integrate mobile tech, the benefits are shared by all,' he said. A key highlight of the summit is the unveiling of the Kazakh Large Language Model, developed through a partnership between Kazakh researchers, QazCode, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and the GSMA Foundry. The AI model supports Kazakh, Turkish, English, and Russian, addressing a crucial gap in local language technologies. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan continues to encourage innovation through initiatives like the Presidential $1 million tech award, aimed at supporting start-ups and digital entrepreneurship. Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies, pointed to recent app launches that integrate IT, tourism, and business services - generating over 2,000 international user interactions in just one week. Neighbouring Kazakhstan is also advancing its digital infrastructure. Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, emphasised the country's commitment to AI and digital infrastructure saying, 'We are building our AI ecosystem with initiatives such as the creation of a national AI Center. This center will support research, education, and startups, playing a crucial role in nurturing the entire ecosystem.' Despite advances some challenges remain. According to the GSMA, around 80 million people in Eurasia remain offline, despite having mobile network coverage. Addressing this "usage gap" will be key to ensuring inclusive digital growth across the region. GSMA initiatives such as its collaboration with IBM — offering members access to the platform — and joint efforts with the European Space Agency on Non-Terrestrial Networks, aim to enhance connectivity and bridge the digital divide. As Tashkent takes the spotlight during M360 Eurasia, Uzbekistan positions itself as a key player in shaping the region's digital future — one increasingly defined by innovation, inclusion, and international cooperation. Sign in to access your portfolio
