MWC Shanghai Fosters Discussion, Cooperation in Mobile and Human Security

With only one more day left of Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the event has culminated with its first-ever 2016 Asia Mobile Awards. And given that the award winners in the smartphone categories – the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for “Best Smartphone or Tablet Device” and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 for “Best Affordable Smartphone” – both prominently feature biometric technologies, its no wonder that FindBiometrics and Mobile ID World President Peter O’Neill was invited to moderate panel sessions discussing identity and security.

Another major standout of this week’s MWC event was the announcement that several major MNOs have signed on to the GSMA’s Humanitarian Connectivity Charter. First launched at MWC 2015, the Charter aims to bring together the mobile industry in support of shared principles and standards that can be used to help people in humanitarian emergencies. It’s a recognition of the centrally important role that mobile technologies have to play in today’s communications, and thus of their particularly critical function in times of emergency.

As such, the Charter is supported by the UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, and by over 60 MNOs across more than 50 countries. Now, KDDI, KT, INC, SK Telecom, and NTT Docomo have become the latest MNOs to join the ranks of Charter supporters.

It all points to a more connected, more secure future for mobile communications – and the many people around the world who depend on the technology.