MWC22: Enter the era of super connectivity

Everything seems trivial in the face of the Russian onslaught in Ukraine, not least a conference famous for its visions of the economic and societal benefits to humanity of mobile coverage.

Telefónica Chairman & CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete, however, gave an impassioned keynote.

“The complete eradication of hunger and poverty is for the first time in our history a possible achievement,” he began. “Yet, despite the fact that today the world is more connected than ever, we are losing faith in ourselves and our future. The reason is that the link between material progress and ethical progress has been blurred. The [current action] in Ukraine has reminded us that technology lacks values. Technology gives us power to change and do more, but that power can be used for good and bad. When it is used for hyper-individualistic values instead of solidarity, empathy or mere connection between people [it sows] distrust.”

This was a sober start to the world’s biggest mobile technology conference, but it got lighter.

Mats Granryd, Director General of mobile industry body GSMA, proceeded to talk about…