On February 23rd, the opening ceremony of the 26th Mobile World Congress 2021 was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Liu Liehong, Vice Minister of MIIT, and Wu Qing, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, were present and made speeches. Zhang Jianming, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, attended the ceremony.
The conference is the first time for GSMA to relocate the first round of MWC from Barcelona to Shanghai. It is the first time for MWC events to return to the offline after the epidemic. It reflects the confidence in Shanghai's anti COVID-19 effect and recognition of China's leading position in 5G development. This year, MWC Shanghai is expected to welcome nearly 20,000 participants. Through the summit and forum held at SNIEC, participants will learn the latest progress of the mobile industry. At the same time, tens of millions of visitors from more than 100 countries and regions will log on to the online platform to experience the grand event with the live audience. Participants will get the latest industry information and establish important business contacts through various opportunities.
The theme of MWC Shanghai 2021 is "harmony and symbiosis". The agenda of the conference focuses on how the digital ecosystem can support the global economic recovery and change people's lives. The much-anticipated topics include 5G connectivity, industry smart alliance, artificial intelligence and start-up innovation, as well as other exciting activities, such as 5G innovation zone and digital leaders conference.
During the conference, the think tank of GSMA released "2021 China Mobile Economic Development Report", pointing out that China will continue to maintain its position as one of the world's leading 5G technology markets. One of the main contents of the report is the scale of 5G in China: more than 200 million new 5G connections will be added in 2020; it is estimated that by 2025, China's 5G connections will exceed 800 million, providing a series of products and services for individual consumers and the broader economy.
5G related investments will help the global economy overcome the influence of COVID-19 and start the economic recovery after. GSMA research points out that by 2030, 5G upgrading will contribute more than US$600 billion to the global economy every year, which is about 2.1% of the expected revenue growth of all industries and fields in the next decade.
GSMA represents the common interests of global mobile operators. The widely distributed mobile ecosystem of GSMA connects more than 750 operators and nearly 400 enterprises, including mobile phone and terminal manufacturers, software companies, equipment suppliers, Internet companies, and related industry organizations. GSMA hosts industry-leading MWC conferences annually in Barcelona, Africa, Los Angeles and Shanghai.
