GSMA Report Urges Japan to Take Bold Action to Convert Technical Excellence Into Global Digital Leadership
The GSMA released its “Digital Nations 2026: Accelerating the Digital Leap in Japan” report at the Digital Nation Summit in Tokyo, urging Japan to convert its technical strengths into global digital leadership. The study highlights three priority actions: completing the nationwide rollout of 5G standalone, closing the digital divide among the elderly (29% of the population is 65+ with low internet usage), and strengthening digital trust after fraud losses of ¥324.1 billion (≈ $2.1 billion) in 2025. The Tokyo Accord, signed by the country’s major mobile operators and three APAC 6G alliances, signals a shared commitment to shape the upcoming 6G era and to align spectrum, R&D, and standards with broader transformation goals.
From Rich Text to Video: RCS Universal Profile 4.0 Has Arrived
GSMA announced the finalization of Rich Communication Services (RCS) Universal Profile 4.0, adding native video‑call initiation, rich‑text styling, and higher‑quality media handling. The update also enables streaming video within Rich Cards and more robust deep‑link management for business messaging. End‑to‑end encryption...
Mobile Money Accounted for $2 Trillion in Transactions in 2025, Doubling Since 2021 as Active Accounts Continue to Grow
Mobile money transaction volume surpassed $2 trillion in 2025, doubling the $1 trillion milestone reached four years earlier. The GSMA report shows registered accounts climbed to 2.3 billion, with active 30‑day users rising 15% to 593 million, driven largely by Sub‑Saharan Africa. Providers expanded...
GSMA MWC26 Barcelona Closes 20th Anniversary Edition
Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona marked its 20th anniversary, drawing nearly 105,000 attendees from 207 countries. The event featured 2,900 exhibitors showcasing AI, 5G, robotics and a record 40% C‑level speaker lineup. GSMA highlighted the broader ecosystem with 58%...
From Ambition to Execution: How Open Gateway Is Scaling the Global API Economy
Three years after its debut, GSMA Open Gateway has moved from ambition to execution, with 86 operator groups covering over 300 networks and 80% of global mobile connections adopting a common API framework. More than 60 channel partners, including hyperscalers...
GSMA Calls for Regulatory Readiness for Direct-to-User LEO Satellite Services
The GSMA released a position paper urging governments to modernise regulatory frameworks for direct‑to‑user Low‑Earth‑Orbit (LEO) satellite services. It highlights that existing rules are fragmented and often unsuitable for new satellite‑only offerings, creating uncertainty for operators and investors. The paper...
GSMA Foundry and ESA Announce Access to New Funding Worth up to €100M for AI, NTN, D2D and 6G at MWC26 Barcelona
GSMA Foundry and the European Space Agency announced up to €100 million in new funding to accelerate AI‑driven non‑terrestrial networks (NTN), direct‑to‑device (D2D) connectivity, 5G/6G hub testbeds and early‑stage 6G innovation. The programme builds on a 2024 partnership and aims to...
GSMA Launches Open Telco AI to Accelerate Development of Telco‑grade AI
GSMA has unveiled Open Telco AI, an industry‑wide platform that supplies open‑weight models, data libraries, compute resources and benchmark tools tailored for telecom applications. The initiative brings together operators, vendors, AI developers and academia, with AT&T and AMD contributing models and GPU...
GSMA and Wing Announce Nova Future Summit, a New Event for Trailblazing Technology and Connectivity Leaders
GSMA and Wing Venture Capital announced the Nova Future Summit, an invite‑only, closed‑door event for senior technology and telecom leaders. The three‑day summit will be held in Napa, California, from September 28‑30, bringing together CEOs, C‑suite executives, venture capitalists, and...
GSMA Foundry and NUHS Singapore to Drive 5G and AI Innovations in Healthcare Through New Strategic Partnership
GSMA Foundry has signed a strategic partnership with Singapore’s National University Health System (NUHS) to accelerate 5G‑enabled, AI‑driven healthcare solutions. The collaboration will leverage private 5G networks, digital twins, XR, IoT and ambient AI to enable remote surgical assistance, immersive...
GSMA Launches Innovation Fund to Accelerate Green Transition Through Mobile Technology
The GSMA has launched a global Innovation Fund offering £100,000‑£200,000 grants to small and growing enterprises that use mobile and digital technologies to accelerate the green transition in low‑ and middle‑income countries. The fund targets solutions that expand clean‑energy access,...
New GSMA Report Shows Low-Band Spectrum Is Required to Tackle the Rural Connectivity Gap and Help Unlock Rural Economic Growth
The GSMA’s new report finds that allocating additional sub‑1 GHz spectrum is essential for closing the rural digital divide. Adding just 50 MHz of low‑band spectrum can lift rural 4G coverage by 7 percentage points and 5G coverage by 11 percentage points, while also...
