Top global CEOs to gather for Mobile World Congress 2008

Most influential mobile executives to debate four major themes in Barcelona

London: A world-class line-up of top executives will address the most pressing issues facing the mobile industry at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest communications conference and exhibition, in Barcelona, 11-14 February 2008.

During the three day conference, more than 230 chief executives and other high-level speakers from across the global mobile industry and related sectors will be involved in debates around four major themes - ubiquitous networks, services that aren’t reliant on mobile operators, mobile’s social and economic value and the mobile digital content revolution.

“Once again, the conference agenda is a ‘Who’s Who’ of the global mobile industry,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA. “We expect lively debates around a series of hot issues, from mobile advertising and search to financial services; from social networking to Long Term Evolution. The Mobile World Congress will play a major role in setting the industry’s agenda for 2008 and beyond. ”

Confirmed speakers include:

Arun Sarin, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone

Wang Jianzhou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, China Mobile

John Chambers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cisco

Masao Nakamura, President and Chief Executive Officer of NTT DoCoMo

Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nokia

César Alierta, Chairman and CEO of Telefonica

Paul Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, Qualcomm

Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chief Executive Officer, Ericsson

Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank

Iqbal Quadir, founder of GrameenPhone

Phuthuma Nhleko, Group President & Chief Executive Officer, MTN

Shin-Bae Kim, Chief Executive Officer, SKT

Ralph de la Vega, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Mobile

Michael Joseph, CEO of Safaricom

Peter Mercier, Head of Mobile, Digital Media Division, BBC

Stanley Fertig, Senior Vice President, HBO International

The conference programme will be supported by an exhibition showcasing approximately 1,200 companies and hundreds of new products and services. This year marks the first time the event will operate under its new name, Mobile World Congress, rather than 3GSM World Congress, to reflect its role serving the entire mobile industry, regardless of access technology.

As the mobile medium becomes increasingly important to the entertainment industry, the Congress, in partnership with Nielsen, the Hollywood Reporter & Billboard Magazine, will host a new event at Barcelona’s majestic National Palace. Mobile Backstage will bring together leading figures from the entertainment and mobile industries who are defining where mobile entertainment is today and where it’s heading in the future. The Congress is also co-located with several other major GSMA events, such as the two-day Mobile Innovation Market, the Government Mobile Forum and the Global Mobile Awards.

On the first day of the Congress, the GSMA – in association with TelecomTV - will host the premiere of a unique documentary film travelogue exploring the extraordinary social and economic impact of mobile communications around the world. Filmed in 20 countries The Mobile Planet will explore the diverse ways in which mobile phones are used today in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The GSMA’s Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress are the world’s leading mobile communications conference and exhibition events, where top executives from mobile operators, equipment vendors, IT companies and entertainment providers meet to do business. In 2007, more than 50,000 people attended the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association’s initiatives as key partners. The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. The Association’s members serve more than 2.5 billion customers, 85% of the world’s mobile phone users.