LIVE FROM MWC LAS VEGAS 2022: Mats Granryd, director general at the GSMA (pictured), focused his keynote on the potential for technology to transform various industries through partnerships, with Las Vegas an ideal testing ground for a range of 5G use cases made possible by teaming with different sectors.

Granryd began by recalling his memories of the Apollo 11 landing in 1969, noting how big a feat it was at the time, but pointed out today’s smartphones have “more computing power than the spaceships that sent those first men to the moon”.

MWC22 Las Vegas will show off the power of connectivity to expand across all business sectors, from manufacturing to energy and financial services, said Granryd, with his keynote including a short discussion with Rich Knipp, VP of partnerships at Hologram to emphasise his point.

For Granryd, the new era of intelligent connectivity also means it “will take more than two to do business”.

He argued that with connectivity embedded in every aspect of life, there was a bigger need to share knowledge and best practice across industries and verticals, requiring “three or four to tango”.

Ready to engage
Aside from the potential of technology to transform businesses, Granryd also pointed to budding environmental benefits.

He said smart technology was “very underused” by energy-intensive industries including energy, transport, buildings and manufacturing.

Adopting mobile technology in those four industries alone “will enable global savings of around 11 gigatonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, equivalent to roughly 40 per cent of the total required reduction”.

“It’s good for the environment and for business, and the mobile industry is ready to engage with other sectors to enable these savings.”

Granryd argued Las Vegas is well placed to highlight the potential of 5G, pointing to existing demonstrations, testing of autonomous vehicle technologies and the use of drones to deliver medical equipment.

“It just goes to show that when the partnerships and conditions are right, anything is possible.”