5G Innovation Front and Centre Stage; Digital Leaders Convene in Shanghai to Discuss the Digital Future; 4YFN Shanghai Awards 2019 Winner Announced as RefundMe Hong Kong: The GSMA today reported that more than 75,000 unique visitors1 from over 100 countries and territories attended MWC19 Shanghai, held 26-28 June in Shanghai. This included 7,000 consumers who attended the Global 5G Immersion Experience Exhibition organised by China Mobile Migu. The three-day event attracted executives from the largest and most influential organisations from across the mobile ecosystem, as well as companies from a wide range of vertical industry sectors. Covering seven halls, MWC19 Shanghai hosted around 500 exhibitors, with almost half coming from outside of China. The conference programme attracted over 4,000 attendees, with more than 55 per cent of delegates holding senior-level positions, including more than 350 CEOs. More than 1,100 international and Chinese media and industry analysts attended MWC19 Shanghai to report on the many industry developments highlighted at the show.
Under the theme of Intelligent Connectivity', 5G was front and centre of everything at MWC19 Shanghai with 5G-enabled handsets launched, new products and services and 5G demos in every hall it was exciting for attendees to be part of so many interactive 5G experiences, said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. Today we celebrate another highly successful MWC19 Shanghai, which convened representatives from across the global mobile ecosystem. Our industry continues to make strong progress with 5G and MWC Shanghai continues to showcase the best and most impactful elements of our connected world.
MWC19 Shanghai officially opened on Wednesday, 26 June with a ceremony attended by representatives from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Shanghai local government authorities and the Pudong New District Municipal Government, among other distinguished guests.
MWC19 Shanghai Conference: Intelligent Connectivity
Over the three days, MWC19 Shanghai's conference programme outlined the powerful combination of flexible, high-speed 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, marking the beginning of a new era defined by highly contextualised and personalised experiences, delivered as and when you want them. Keynote speakers represented organisations including: Adriel, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, Qualcomm, Reliance Jio, Telenor Pakistan, YOFC and ZTE.
Attendees Experienced the Power of 5G
Attendees experienced fully immersive 5G services across all seven exhibition halls at MWC19 Shanghai, supported by the Chinese mobile operators and their partners. This enabled exhibitors to perform 5G-enabled demonstrations and activities at the event including:
A live 5G-enabled tele-mentored surgery was performed over a 5G connection supported by AIS, China Mobile and Mediapro. Live guidance was provided by Dr Antonio de Lacy, Head of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Hospital Cl nic in Barcelona and co-founder of AIS Channel from the venue to the operating room in Shanghai East Hospital, with the full consent of the patient;
Diamond Event Partner China Mobile demonstrated a number of interactive 5G experiences across the exhibition halls and delivered ultra-HD 5G connectivity to all attendees at the event, across sports, performing arts and culture.
Connectivity Event Theme Sponsor Ericsson shared their insights on how to plan and execute a smooth transition to 5G.
Highlights of the Partner Programmes that explored the future of 5G included;
At the launch of China Mobile's 5G , the GSMA joined government officials, international industry partners and key ecosystem players as China Mobile outlined its exciting plans for all 340 cities in China to be covered by its 5G network next year;
China Unicom International Partners Meeting 5G' Empowering Intelligent Connectivity', which discussed opportunities, trends and best practices in the telecoms industry; and
GTI Summit's 5G X, Beyond Connectivity', which discussed 5G industrial maturity and explored how new businesses created by 5G will reshape society in the future.
Industry Leaders Convene at MWC19 Shanghai
The GSMA, through its newly introduced Digital Leaders Programme, convened visionary leaders across the wider ecosystem, who are at the forefront of their industries in exploring and leading the digital transformation of their businesses. Companies such as ABB China, CBC Capital, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Haier, Huawei, JP Morgan Chase, Neusoft Hanfeng, Nokia Shanghai Bell, Qualcomm China, S.F. Holdings, Synchronoss and ZTE discussed challenges, future business opportunities and innovative solutions that will collectively drive a sustainable digital future.
The Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme brought together stakeholders including policymakers, industry leaders, AI specialists, academia and start-ups, to discuss key policy formulation, how to stimulate new innovations and explored how AI can be applied throughout the digital economy. Additionally, the GSMA partnered with INSEAD, one of the world's leading graduate business schools, to provide attendees with the first Masterclass Programme at MWC19 Shanghai which examined and identified barriers to change as well as ways to overcome them.
Innovative and Entrepreneurial Startups Showcased at 4YFN
4 Years from Now (4YFN), one of the most influential start-up event platforms in the world, focused on connecting and building the startup ecosystem. This year the GSMA introduced the Discovery Area, with its Investor Club, where startups connected with investors through meetups and networking activities. More than 100 investors atten
