The 2019 Mobile World Congress, one of the world's largest mobile technology events organized by the GSMA (Global Mobile Operators Association), has concluded.
The Mobile World Congress was held in Barcelona from February 25-28, 2019. Our country was represented at the GSMA 2019 Mobile World Congress by a high-level delegation chaired by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mehmet Cahit Turhan, including Deputy Minister Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Chairman of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, BTK Board Members, and officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
The Ministerial Programme, held from February 25-27 as part of this organization that brings together mobile operators, device developers, software developers creating mobile services, and regulators in the field from all over the world each year, brought together high-level representatives from relevant ministries in sectors such as telecommunications, finance, and health, telecommunications regulatory authorities, international organizations, and intergovernmental bodies, as well as professionals from the mobile sector. The Ministerial Programme, which focused on the theme of “digital citizenship” this year, addressed topics such as new technologies, the opportunities and threats they offer, and digital leadership in sessions under headings such as “digital citizenship and policy modernization” and “innovations for digital citizens.”
BTK Chairman Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu attended the roundtable meeting on “Internet of Things (IoT) in Emerging Markets” held on February 26, 2019, during the Congress. In the meeting, where the global and local impacts of IoT and the steps to be taken by decision-makers in this context were discussed, BTK Chairman Karagözoğlu stated that changes in communications, new technologies, and their reflections on other sectors have led to the effects of IoT and M2M applications being felt in Turkey in many areas, especially in industry. Karagözoğlu also noted that IoT creates new vulnerabilities in terms of data and network security, emphasizing that a security breach could cause irreparable levels of damage to the economy.
During the GSMA 2019 Mobile World Congress, a signing ceremony for the “4.5G ULAK Base Station Supply Contract” was also held between Turkcell and ULAK Haberleşme A.Ş. With the signed contract, an important collaboration was achieved in line with the goal of increasing the use of domestic and national technology in our country.
Throughout the event, Minister Turhan, Deputy Minister Sayan, and BTK Chairman Karagözoğlu visited the stands of leading producers and operators in the sector and held meetings with senior executives. Additionally, high-level bilateral meetings were held with ICANN, Facebook, GSMA MENA, and AT&T, where views were exchanged on common areas of activity, cooperation opportunities, and current developments in the sector.