ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the 'project' Mobile World Capital. It discusses the role of the City of Barcelona, but also looks at the role of Telefonica and other private actors, reviewing how the initiative is organised and financed. The Mobile World Conference is an initiative of GSMA: a global association of mobile operators and related companies. Telefonica is one of the world's largest operators in the telecommunications sector, with presence in 24 countries in Europe and Latin America. The City of Barcelona is involved in this plan by promoting the use of smartphones for payments and setting up the technological infrastructure needed in all the City Council institutions and equipment around the city. MWC is a multi-year event that has been developed by the City of Barcelona in cooperation with the Spanish and Catalan governments, the trade fair and the organising association GSMA.
