GSMA Asks Businesses and Governments to Work Together to Coordinate Transition to 5G

The GSMA has reiterated its call for intelligent leadership in the wake of its recent Digital Declaration. In a statement anticipating the launch of 5G networks, the organization is asking European mobile operators and policy experts to work together to ensure a secure 5G environment and a competitive digital marketplace.

The GSMA is particularly alive to the dangers of a haphazard rollout and a potential competitive imbalance. If policy lags behind innovation, it could create disruptions to the supply chain for new parts and equipment, making it more difficult and more expensive to build 5G infrastructure on top of the existing 4G network. That could have severe economic ramifications, as tech investment (as much as €500 billion by 2025) flows towards countries with 5G infrastructure and away from those without.

The recent statement is intended to head off such concerns, encouraging a more even deployment of 5G technology. It also makes a case for rigorous security standards, which is intended to protect consumers and boost public trust. To that end, the GSMA has already put together a task force to expand its regulatory efforts, and encourages governments and mobile operators to take similar actions and create sensible certification standards.

The GSMA has repeatedly argued for the transformative potential for 5G technology, even if the general public has expressed doubts. Its latest statement is in keeping with that mission, an effort to win over some of the skeptics with a proactive framework that will create an optimal environment for business and consumers.