QA：Craig Enrlich Chairman of GSMA

20th.Nov.208

By Snake Chen

Tech.163.com

Macau.China GSMA chairman Craig Ehrlich, who steps down from his position at the end of the year,use "highly successful" to comment this year's GSMA macau event.

GSMA Macau was held in Vinetian Hotel Macau from 19th Nov to 21th Nov.Many leading companies involved in.Craig used exhibitors and people to define that "success",and " many CEOs of leading companies show up in our congress",especially he mentioned.

Financial crisis impacts the world,looking through Q3 results,telcos are not so well."It is very serious downturn worldwide."Craig said to tech.163.com.But he is still optimistic on asia telecom market,"I think for us in asia is better off than other region like north america and north europe.In terms specificly of telecom industry,we spend close to 150 billions US dollars a year in capital and capex for our infrastructure.We think we can contitune grow.So we think our industry is solutions to many countries' problems."

Talking about the future roadmap for GSMA event,Craig noticed that the next two years will be a tough time,but considering"barcelona event is the best conference in the world and asia congress continues to grow",he believe the next two years will still be a good shade.

In the 18th evening party speech,Craig said the biggest challenge facing the GSMA is sorting out spectrum issues for LTE by convincing regulators to harmonize spectrum allocations and make use of so-called “digital dividend” frequencies created by broadcasters making the move from analog to digital.

Craig told tech.163.com," LTE is the eventual answer.And using LTE all countries in the world and all operators in the world,we will have absolutly common standard around the world.GSMA representing 86% mobile population in the world.But with LTE,GSMA will have 100% of mobile population within the next 5-7 years."

Craig also made his prediction for the time of china's 3G granting,"I think the license will be granted some times in the next three to four month.the next september period,likely all three companies will have 3G actully operating in china,not in every city but in all mutual cities."

Craig was appointed interim chair and later elected to the position in 2001, at which time the GSMA was more like a standards body, concentrating on technical issues rather than commercial strategies.  

Interview with Craig Enrlich of President of GSMA.

tech.163.com:Hello!Craig,Nice to meet you here!Could you tell us what's the key to GSMA's success?

Craig Enrlich:Well,I think the key is GSMA is the world's largest and most cohesive setup mobile operators in the world.Every mobile operators in the world excepting maybe 16% CDMA companies are part of GSMA.And soon the CDMA companies are joinning in GSMA.So in represent every mobile operators in the world we getogether.We can decide issues and move forward.So I would say the key to success is get everybody around the table to discuss strategies and commercial issues.

tech.163.com:How do you comment this year's GSMA Macau event?

Craig Enrlich:Uh,Highly successful.If I define success as how many people show up,how many exhibitors shows here,and most importantly how many CEO of leading companies,For examples,we had chairman and CEO of China Mobile,Mr.Wangjianzhou,chairman and CEO of China Unicom Mr.changxiaobing,and we had many senior executives of both of these two companies.We had very senior executives from Huawei and ZTE.So just within china,our conference attracted probably the most executives ever in the same conference.Added to that,we had global leaders like the CEO of Ntt Docomo,Japan's largest telecompany.We had CEOs from another 10-20 companies around the world.That makes our conference successful.

tech.163.com:Why do you choose Macau and Bacelora to hold your event?

Craig Enrlich:Well,Bacerola is the place in europe we choose three years ago.We are originally in cannes France。But we have consential a large conference,at that time we had 25000 people.Once we move to bacelora which is much bigger,we group to 40,000 to 45,000 people.Now bacerola congress or conference is the number one telecom conference in the whole world.We ste up the asia congress about a few years ago thinking that we could duplicate that success for asia.And over the last two years we have been doing here in macau is very successful.

tech.163.com:How does your team make your event's financial and marketing successful?

Craig Enrlich:We are not a corpration in the classic sense,we are not a business.GSMA is a non-profit trade association.But since we need lots of money to work on all kinds of project like how do we make mobile money payment programe work,how do we have healthy programs or alternative programs and green programs like china mobile doing in many markets around the world.How do we distribute these program to the world,it take money.So the barcelona and asia congress supply the money to run these staff over 150 people who located in london,United States,Hongkong.So it's very essential that we do raise these money from congress and GSMA members.

tech.163.com:How about the marketing side?

Craig Enrlich:It cant be any body walking into our congress,it is only for industry people,it is a lot expensive to coming inside.So we dont marketing to consumers,we only marketing to leaders and decision makers in our own industry.

tech.163.com:What's your opinion on the impact of financial crisis to asia telecom market in the future?

Craig Enrlich:It is very serious downturn worldwide.I think for us in asia is better off than other region like north america and north europe.In terms specificly of telecom industry,we spend close to 150 billions US dollars a year in capital and capex for our infrastructure.We think we can contitune grow.So we think our industry is solutions to many countries' problems.If you look into china percificly,even if 3G doesn't come out in the next three month.The amount of money be spend to expand 2G networks is still very very large that creates jobs.So it is a very positive thing for the job creating factor.Now on top of that,I think there will be 3G license be subsgranted very soon.So china telecom will be upgrade its network.China Mobile will be granted to build TD-SCDMA,and China Unicom will be granted to build HSPA the 3G networks.So when you combine that,there will be a tremendise another sitimulation of the chinese economy just base on mobile industry.

tech.163.com:On the first day of the event,you pop a question for Mr.Changxiaobing of China Unicom for the release time of 3G license.So I just want to know what's do you think of that?

Craig Enrlich:Well,Mr.Changxiaobing is a very diplomadic.He didn't want to comment himself to predict it.But I'm in different position,I'd love to predict.I think the license will be granted some times in the next three to four month.But in the way there is no longer important,because now it is very clear all three companies will go 3G and known what technology they are going to use.And if you ask china telecom,they have already doing tenders and spend money for 3G.China Mobile have already spend money building 3G TD-SCDMA.And China Unicom is in the final stage of the tender with the largest manufactors in the world.So 3G will be introduced quite soon.The official license almost become the unimportant whether it takes another month or three month.The prediction is by early fall next year,let's say the next september period,likely all three companies will have 3G actully operating in china,not in every city but in all mutual cities.

tech.163.com:Why do you say LTE is the future of 3G?

Craig Enrlich:Because we believe base on the traffic demand within how people use our services for voice and data,and now the mobile broadband access to the internet via wireless device.And because of that demand,and speed other than just compacity,the LTE is the ultmost solution for the consumer to have desktop capability and wireless device.So LTE is the eventual answer.And using LTE all countries in the world and all operators in the world,we will have absolutly common standard around the world.GSMA representing 86% mobile population in the world.But with LTE,GSMA will have 100% of mobile population within the next 5-7 years.

tech.163.com:What's your plan to develop GSMA and GSMA event in the future?

Craig Enrlich:Well,GSMA is a trade association continue to active thoughout the world policy issues and strategic issues.And the GSMA conference is going to be the tough business the next two years.But again because of the barcelona event is the best conference in the world and asia congress continues to grow.We believe the next two years will be still good shade.With nodoubt the GSMA will still be the number one trade association of mobile in the world.

tech.163.com:Finally,do you have any wishes to GSMA in the future?

Craig Enrlich:Just continue what do we start 7 years ago when I became the chairman,just continue strong presence thoughout the world,but particular strong presence here in china.

tech.163.com:Thank you Craig.

Craig Enrlich:Nice to meet you again.