• Telefónica’s Chairman & CEO has occupied this position since February 2022, marking the first time that a representative from a Spanish company has assumed the chairmanship of the GSMA

The Chairman and CEO of Telefónica has been re-elected until December 2026 as chair of the GSMA, the association comprising the largest telecom operators, companies across the global connectivity ecosystem and adjacent industries. José María Álvarez-Pallete has occupied this position since February 2022 when he became the first representative of a Spanish company to assume this role in the history of the GSMA.

His re-election is an endorsement of all the work undertaken during his tenure, at a critical time for the telecom sector, which has been recognised as a key pillar for ensuring Europe’s progress and competitiveness, as highlighted by the Draghi Report.

During a fruitful period of almost three years as Chair of GSMA, José María Álvarez-Pallete has promoted the launch of Open Gateway, which represents a paradigm shift in the way in which the telecommunications sector designs and markets its services in the new API economy. He has also fostered the ethical and responsible use of technology, especially AI, which has resulted in the first common roadmap in the sector.

Álvarez-Pallete commented: “it is an honour for me to have been elected again as Chair and I am thrilled about the new chapter that is beginning“. He also underscored “the hard work done by the GSMA, especially in closing the digital divide, which is critical if we are to truly bring the socio-economic benefits of digitalisation to the most vulnerable. Continuously advancing with the goal of ensuring that the technological revolution is placed at the service of people, companies, and society as a whole, leaving no one behind”.

A giant comprising more than 1,100 companies

The GSMA´s membership comprises more than 1,100 companies across the global connectivity ecosystem and adjacent industries to drive innovation and reduce inequalities around the world.

The impact of mobile connectivity is evident in its contribution to the economy. In 2023, mobile technology and services generated 5.4% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a contribution that amounted to $5.7 trillion of economic value added and supported around 35 million jobs.

By the end of 2023, more than 5.6 billion people (69% of the world’s population) subscribed to a mobile service, representing an increase of 1.6 billion people since 2015. Growth in mobile internet penetration has been even faster. At the end of 2023, 58% of the world’s population used this service, equating to 4.7 billion users – an increase of 2.1 billion since 2015.