GSM Asia Pacific

A very good morning to all of you.

Yesterday we celebrated the historic milestone of 21 years of GSM and ushered in the gifted child GSM to adulthood. So today, it’s a new beginning and a new era. Against this backdrop it is my distinct honor to stand before you and welcome all of you to the 29th GSMA AP Conference and Exhibition in Sri Lanka, where everyone will feel at home admist people with true Asian identity. An identity we are very proud of and we are determined to preserve amongst this technological revolution.

Mr. Toure,  under your visionary leadership, we have seen ITU rising up to many challenges. As you know, among the biggest challenges we face is to connect the unconnected across the world. Over the last few years Sri Lanka has secured its place with a growth rate of over 30% and a telecom penetration of over 43%. Mr. Weeratunga, I have no doubt that the success is intrinsicly tied to the policies of His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse and yourself as Chairman of the TRC.

It took telephone companies hundreds of years to connect the first billion while GSM has connected 3 billion in just 21 years. Still, there is one challenge which unites us - to connect the unconnected. Asia Pacific has a special challenge because out of 3.2 billion we have connected only 1.2. Out of this comes the acute awareness as we deliberate about the next big thing and big technology, out there over 2 billion people languish without the basic connectivity that we take for granted today.

We in Dialog know that GSM is not just about technology, it’s about people. It’s about acting as a key enabler, a springboard, for people to achieve their goals and greater heights in their lives and, above all, to be better human beings. Rest assured, we will be right beside you till we connect the last Sri Lankan.

So, Beyond 21. The first day of GSM adulthood. As policy makers and key stakeholder, let us renew our pledge to continue the work of connecting the world. Against this backdrop, it is my privilege to stand before you and welcome you to the 29th GSMA AP Conference and Exhibition.