GSMA - Spectrum

On 20 May, the GSMA Spectrum team joined the #ConnectingCanada event in Ottawa, hosted in partnership with the Canadian Telecommunications Association 🇨🇦. 🔥 During a fireside chat with Johanne Lemay of LYA, GSMA’s Veena Rawat shared insights on the future of spectrum policy and network evolution. The discussion explored how 5G-Advanced and 6G will develop in parallel over the coming years to support growing traffic demands and enable new services. 📶 The discussion highlighted priorities for future networks, including delivering AI, energy efficiency, integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), satellite integration, security, and increasingly demanding uplink requirements. Veena stressed the importance of early spectrum planning, internationally harmonised standards, and a clear long-term roadmap to support investment and innovation 💬 Ross Bateson moderated a panel with Ahmad Husseini (Ericsson Canada), Matthew Kellison (ISED), Jeffrey Maddox (Nokia Canada) and David Willis (Ofcom UK). The discussion focused on how AI, industrial digitalisation and emerging applications will shape future network demand, while reinforcing the importance of technology investment, digital inclusion and international cooperation through forums such as the ITU and CITEL. 🙏 Special thanks to all speakers for the insightful discussions. #spectrum #spectrumpolicy #5gadvanced #6g #imt2030 #ituwrc #gsma

🇺🇿 "The New Frontiers and Connectivity” session at #M360 Eurasia explored how to unlock the full potential of mobile connectivity and ensure no community is left behind. 🌏 GSMA's Carol Sosa Leguizamón set the scene: connectivity needs differ between urban and rural communities — highlighting the continued importance of extending coverage to remote and underserved areas. 📶 Eric Yang, President of Carrier Business at Huawei, emphasised that a fully connected Eurasia will require strong 4G foundations, expanded 5G coverage, universal connectivity and networks ready for the AI era. 🚀 In a fireside chat with Jabbor Kayumov, CEO of Beeline Kazakhstan, discussions focused on enabling 5G + AI and expanding nationwide coverage. Jabbor also highlighted Beeline’s partnership with Starlink, making it the first global telecom operator to enter a multi-country framework for Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity. 🛰️ Lourdes Montenegro from AST SpaceMobile noted that many of the historic barriers to D2D — including cost, device availability and latency — are now being overcome, with AST partnering with more than 50 mobile operators to integrate satellite and terrestrial networks. 🤝 The closing panel Christos Marazopoulos PhD (EU Commission), Natalia V. (GSOA), Andrey Kirillovich (Intersputnik) and Nick Roullier (SES) explored rural connectivity, the usage gap, mobile-satellite partnerships and expectations ahead of WRC-27 — reinforcing the importance of collaboration across the connectivity ecosystem. 🙏 Thank you to all speakers and participants for an insightful discussion on the future of connectivity across Eurasia. #mobile #connectivity #satellite #directtodevice #d2d #spectrum #spectrumpolicy #eurasia

🌎 Strong discussions at #CLTD26 🇲🇽, co-located with #M360 LATAM, on the role of spectrum in expanding connectivity across the region. 🛰️📲 In a fireside chat, Rodrigo C. Gebrim (AST SpaceMobile) and GSMA's Luciana Camargos explored how Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite connectivity can supplement terrestrial mobile networks where rural and remote areas remain difficult to cover. But technology alone is not enough: collaboration among MNOs, satellite providers, and policymakers will be key, alongside efforts to tackle the barriers to internet adoption and use. 💰 GSMA's Luiz Felippe Zoghbi highlighted another critical issue: spectrum affordability. Excessive spectrum costs constrain investment. Making spectrum available in the right amounts, at the right price and under investment-friendly conditions will be essential to closing the digital divide and enabling the next generation of connectivity — from 5G to 6G. 📶 In the following panel, José Gutiérrez Salazar, Santiago Pardo Fajardo, Marisol Nava León and Cesar Humberto Funes Garay discussed the role of enabling policies, including spectrum availability and predictability of licence renewals, in unleashing inclusive and sustainable connectivity at scale. Licensing processes that combine obligations with lower spectrum costs may serve as a guide for regulators in the region, aiming to improve coverage and lower the spectrum cost burden for operators. 🙏 Special thanks to all speakers for the insightful conversation. #spectrum #spectrumpolicy #mobile #connectivity #satellite #d2d #directtodevice #5g #spectrumpricing #latam

🇬🇭 This week, Philippe GOABGA, Senior Policy Manager at GSMA, conducted a workshop on establishing an effective 5G spectrum auction in Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications.   📌 Highlights from the discussion include:   📶 Efficient spectrum licensing and comprehensive regulatory frameworks are vital to fostering sustained investment within the telecoms sector and advancing sustainable connectivity across the nation. 🔭 Regulatory predictability: Ensuring reasonable spectrum pricing and confirming licence extensions—at least five years in advance—will enable Ghana to unlock its full digital potential.   💡 These steps provide the stability operators need to make informed investments and strategic plans.   🙏 Special thanks to the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications for their invitation and for facilitating valuable dialogue throughout the workshop. We look forward to continued collaboration and support for Ghana’s ongoing digital transformation. #spectrum #spectrumpolicy #spectrumauctions #ghana #gsma

🇨🇦 Less than two weeks until Connecting Canada — a policy-focused event delivered in partnership with Canadian Telecommunications Association. 🎙️ Our Ross Bateson will moderate the final session, in which David Willis, Jeffrey Maddox and Ahmad Husseini will engage in a forward-looking dialogue on the future of telecommunication networks and priorities for Canada. 🗓️ May 20, 2026 📍 National Arts Centre, Ottawa Find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eGDuH-qd #mobile #connectivity #telecoms #digitalpolicy #telecompolicy #spectrum #telecomregulation #spectrumpolicy #canada #cta #gsma

🇲🇽 The GSMA’s Luciana Camargos and Luiz Felippe Zoghbi will be speaking at #CLTD26, in partnership with and co-located with #M360 LATAM, on 13 May in Mexico City. 🌎 Their session, “Spectrum to Cover the Whole Pitch: The Play That Will Define Connectivity for the Next Decade”, will combine technical depth with strategic foresight to address key priorities shaping the region’s connectivity future: 🛰️ How D2D can extend coverage and complement terrestrial networks — alongside the spectrum, regulatory and ecosystem challenges that must be addressed to enable seamless integration. 📶 The next decade of spectrum policy: A broader, forward-looking perspective on planning, pricing and regulatory frameworks needed to unlock investment and help close the digital divide. 👉 Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/dXYCgGJn

🇨🇰 Last month, Yishen Chan, GSMA’s Spectrum Director for APAC, spoke at the PITA 30th AGM Business Forum & Expo, where the GSMA joined regional leaders to discuss the future of digital connectivity across the Pacific islands. 📶 The GSMA delegation shared insights into the trends reshaping the connectivity landscape and addressed key industry challenges — including the mobile investment gap, the need for regulatory modernisation, the strengthening of network resilience, and rising cybersecurity threats. 🛰️ A key focus was the role of D2D in closing coverage gaps. While it can complement terrestrial networks and enhance resilience, it must be introduced with appropriate safeguards to prevent interference, and alongside policies that help reduce the usage gap. 🚨 It was inspiring to see the growing adoption of cell-broadcast early warning systems across the Pacific Islands — a powerful example of how tailored solutions can address the region’s unique geography, cultures, and communication needs. 🙏 Special thanks to Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) for the invitation, and to Vodafone Cook Islands for being such an incredible host. Together, we’re working towards a digitally connected Pacific that leaves no one behind.

The April edition of #SpectrumSignals is out! 🗞️ This month, we explore the importance of low-band spectrum in extending connectivity to rural and underserved communities, where coverage gaps remain a persistent challenge. 📶 But first, we take a closer look at Pakistan’s recent multiband spectrum auction, examining what it reveals about market dynamics, investment appetite, and the policy choices shaping the country’s digital future. 🇵🇰 Dive in 👇

🇨🇦 The GSMA is pleased to partner with the Canadian Telecommunications Association for the Connecting Canada event. This policy-focused event will take a deep dive into the state of Canada’s telecom sector. As part of the agenda, our own Dr Veena Rawat and Johanne Lemay, Co-President of LYA, will discuss Canada's 6G future. 🗓️ May 20, 2026 📍 National Arts Centre, Ottawa Find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eGDuH-qd #mobile #connectivity #spectrum #spectrumpolicy #6g #canada #gsma