The Wireless Broadband Alliance is bringing key industry players together to answer those questions at Wireless Global Congress 2016, 27 – 30 June, Liverpool UK
The telecommunications ecosystem is changing quickly as service providers harness the power of big data and the Internet of Things takes shape with smart objects and connected cities, all in a push toward the promise of ubiquitous, ultra-high-speed connectivity promised by next-generation 5G mobile networks.
And as the IEEE 802.11 standard celebrates a 25-year anniversary, Wi-Fi still has a major part to play in the transforming and converging global telecom industry.
The Wireless Broadband Alliance is bringing together thought leaders from around the world to discuss these topics and many others at Wireless Global Congress 2016, scheduled for June 27 – 30, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
RCR Wireless News caught up with Wireless Broadband Alliance CEO Shrikant Shenwai to discuss the upcoming hosted event, as well as the WBA’s recently empaneled Connected City Advisory Board and the group’s strategic Vision 2020, a three-pronged roadmap for realizing seamless, secure and interoperable broadband services with an emphasis on user experience.
Shenwai explained Vision 2020 as a plan to drive “the application of Wi-Fi in other market opportunities such as the Internet of Things, big data analytics, converged services, the roadmap to 5G and smart cities and connected cities. All of those areas also have a significant role for Wi-Fi. That’s what Vision 2020 looks at. It looks at the broader picture of how do you drive convergence?”
As Shenwai explained, smart cities are a major priority for the WBA, which in July established a Connected City Advisory Board to provide a platform for city managers, CIOs and other public sector leaders to share knowledge and create best-practices to guide the emerging space.
“City leaders and various politicians as well have started looking at how does the city take advantage of all these different technologies to enable and empower the businesses, the communities, the people,” Shenwai said. “Also, more importantly, from a city perspective how to then deliver services differently. How do you enable your own service delivery mechanisms differently? We thought it was time that we set up a formal body that allows city leaders to come together.”
As part of the Wireless Global Congress 2016, WBA has partnered with UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments) to co-develop “Connected Cities Summit”, which features several high-level city leaders on hand to discuss how to realize the future of connected cities.
The larger conference, expecting 700+ attendees with 500,000 global targeted marketing audience and representation from 40 countries, boasts an incredibly diverse group of high-level speakers from leading service providers and vendors. Wireless Global Congress 2016 speakers include:
• Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool
• Alphonso Jenkins, Deputy Commissioner New York City
• Andile Ngcaba, Chairperson of the Wi-Fi Forum SA
• Mike Short, Vice President Telefonica Europe
• Rob van den Dam, Global Telecommunications Industry Leader, IBM
• Trond Wuellner, Group Product Manager at Google
• Luis Jorge Romero, Director General at ETSI
• Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO at Beecham Research
Wireless Global Congress 2016 also features technical streams that focus on wireless convergence, IoT and smart cities initiatives, Wi-Fi monetization case studies and accelerator sessions.
“Unlike a lot of other industry organizations, while we are focused on Wi-Fi and unlicensed technology, the ecosystem we represent is very diverse,” Shenwai said. “The Wireless Global Congress 2016 is a chance for all the members to come together…talking about their visions and perspective on these topics.”
Click here for more information on the Wireless Broadband Alliance the upcoming Wireless Global Congress 2016.
