The Buzz from Mobile World Congress 2015

This years’ Mobile World Congress was as spectacular as it could get and it continues to attract various attendees from outside the wireless industry. At the recent event, keynotes were fairly addressed by non-wireless players such as Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google SVP Sundar Pichai and even Cablevision COO Kristin Dolan.

Among the many interesting events, there were some that stood out. So we bring to you the highlights of the show as follows.

·         News of the Event: Samsung presumably had the most well-attended press conference at this year’s WMC. It launched new versions of its flagship line of smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Further, Google’s Sundar Pichai also confirmed rumors of his company launching an MVNO in the U.S. in the forthcoming months. He also explained how the forthcoming wireless service will be a little different because it will make cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity experiences seamless.

·         Controversy: It’s been quite some time that news about unlicensed LTE has been making the rounds. However, at MWC, LTE-U appeared to finally get a grip, particularly as operators such as T-Mobile US and Verizon Wireless shared thoughts about the technology. Wi-Fi proponents are concerned because of operator support and the unlicensed spectrum bands have always been considered home for the entrepreneurs and upstarts.

·         Celebrity that turned Heads: The FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s crowd pulling presence at the Mobile World Congress generated quite a lot of interest. A big reason behind Wheeler being in such demand at MWC was also about how well the FCC contested the net neutrality ruling. Although Wheeler’s sphere of influence is majorly in the U.S., global players have shown keen interest in his opinions because of their worldwide implications.

·         Most Significant improvement: One of the most awaited and appreciated steps is the GSMA finally making their Wi-Fi network powerful enough for its numerous users and for putting the Wi-Fi network password directly into the name of the network ID.

This is not all that happened at the much talked about WMC 2015. The list is far from complete. However, we have tried to gather in here the most talked about and impactful news for you from the event.