Perspectives in Mobile

Mobile payments in emerging and mobile-first markets are no longer a peripheral layer of digital commerce — they are becoming core infrastructure. With mobile money ecosystems already processing trillions in value and banking penetration still limited across many regions, mobile has effectively become the default financial system in large parts of the world. But this expansion is running into its...

Twilio is set to double down on AI agents and conversational experiences at Signal Berlin. The company will build on the themes introduced at Signal San Francisco, concentrating on helping enterprises use its platform to create better agentic customer experiences. As communications platforms evolve beyond traditional CPaaS, enterprises are increasingly focused on trusted, two-way engagement, AI-dr...

The biggest challenge in mobile communication today is knowing whether the person receiving a message is actually the intended audience. That’s the warning from Janak Joshi, Chief Digital Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who says identity verification is becoming critical for trusted digital engagement. At a time when citizens face growing spam, scams and misinformation, governments...

A global smishing campaign using fake toll-road, parking and traffic-fine messages is exposing the industrial scale of modern mobile fraud. Researchers uncovered more than 79,000 fraudulent SMS messages and over 31,900 malicious URLs targeting users across 12 countries. In this episode of Perspectives, the podcast exploring mobile technology, security and digital trust, Riccardo Amati speaks with...

Mobile messaging should build connection and brand value—not just drive performance and scale. As brands use channels like SMS, WhatsApp, and RCS more intensively, the risk is becoming intrusive or irrelevant. For brands and mobile ecosystem players, success depends on balancing automation with authenticity, using context, tone, and timing to create communication that feels personal and appropriat...

Trust in business messaging is at risk not just because of scams, but because brands themselves are sending irrelevant, context-poor communications—turning even legitimate outreach into perceived spam, with major implications for customer engagement and brand reputation.  In this episode of MEF Podcast Perspectives on Mobile, host Riccardo Amati speaks with Peter Bell, VP Marketing EMEA at Twilio,...

The offshore operator Tampnet is in active discussions in the UK, Germany, Norway and Poland to expand its offshore connectivity model, CEO Elie Hanna told MEF: "There are now many discussions for our "Roam-like-home" model and other models we offer", Hanna said in an interview with MEF podcast "Perspectives on mobile". This follows agreements in the U.S. and with KPN...

RCS is finally scaling—and it’s rewriting the rules of messaging monetization. At the same time, AI is rapidly transforming messaging into a two-way, conversational and increasingly autonomous channel, while the industry faces mounting pressure around pricing models, trust, fraud, and identity. A key shift is emerging: messaging is no longer just about delivery—it’s about engagement, orchestration...

Digital transformation is moving at an unprecedented pace, reshaping how organisations operate, collaborate, and compete across borders. As technology accelerates change, the focus is shifting beyond systems and platforms toward people, culture, and the ways teams work together. Agile working models, strong internal alignment, and clear narratives are becoming essential to keep global organisation...

Indefinite unlimited spectrum licenses will give telcos more certainty on duration, which benefits capital-intensive markets like fiber and 5G. This is the main change in the EU Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) proposal. The act aims for a single European mobile market but offers no concrete tools to achieve it. Reducing obstacles alone won’t change this. The DNA does not reform roaming, le...

Telecom operators must shift from traditional voice services to cloud-based PBX and unified communication solutions to remain competitive — according to Digital Tide.  It’s s urgent for operators to adapt. Legacy revenue streams are plateauing while cloud adoption offers recurring, scalable, and higher-quality revenue. In this episode of MEF  Perspectives  podcast, Digital Tide executives Anna Gon...

The MEFFYS awards are more than a celebration of excellence in the mobile ecosystem: they are a lens through which innovation, regulation, and consumer expectations come into focus. By recognizing the industry’s most impactful players, the MEFFYS help surface the trends and forces that are redefining mobile on a global scale. This podcast features a conversation with Martica Correa Gonzalez, MEF&#...

The global messaging market is under strain as enterprises move beyond A2P SMS while regulation lags behind fast-growing OTT messaging platforms. Unlike SMS, services such as WhatsApp and Telegram operate with limited oversight, creating vulnerabilities that fraudsters increasingly exploit and shifting risk across the mobile ecosystem. In this episode of Perspectives in Mobile, MEF’s Riccardo Amat...

Conversational AI is reshaping mobile interactions, but real-world risks—like the recent ChatGPT wrongful death case—underscore the stakes for brands. Poorly designed AI experiences can erode trust, frustrate users, and drive churn. For mobile-first companies, telcos, and CPaaS providers, the challenge is not just technical—it’s financial: messaging missteps can hit retention, reduce engagement, a...

AI is forcing the mobile ecosystem's operators to rethink how they work, while RCS is creating new pressure to move faster than their legacy systems allow. Leaders are confronting  internal resistance, confusion around priorities, and the cost of hanging onto outdated processes. A new model of “FutureFit” organizations is gaining traction, highlighting the need for agility, clear objectives, a...

Africa’s mobile industry is into the spotlight. User growth is accelerating, OTT services are rewriting the rules of communication, and rich messaging is fast becoming the backbone of financial services and business engagement. Yet this boom comes with pressure: operators are wrestling with volatile pricing, rising fraud, and shifting consumer expectations—all against a backdrop of tough competiti...

It’s the industry’s biggest storyline: application-to person (A2P) SMS is no longer the default, and for the first time in decades, the foundations of business messaging are being rewritten in real time. With reach communications services (RCS) accelerating after Apple’s adoption, fraud models shifting, interoperability becoming over-the-top-(OTT)-driven, and artificial intelligence transforming e...

In the current conversation in Perspectives in Mobile, Riccardo Amati speaks with Andrey Anikin, CEO of Alaris Labs, about the evolving landscape of telecom messaging influenced by regulation and artificial intelligence. They discuss the balance between human support and AI integration, the challenges of cybersecurity, and the ethical implications of AI in decision-making. Andrey shares insights o...

In this episode of MEF Podcast Perspectives, host Riccardo Amati and guest Trend Micro's Udo Schneider discuss the alarming rise of task scams, a sophisticated form of online fraud targeting job seekers. They explore the emotional and financial impacts of these scams, the tactics used by cybercriminals, and the role of AI in both perpetrating and combating these threats. The conversation also...

Civilian mobile networks are now emerging as potential flashpoints in modern warfare. According to retired U.S. Army Colonel and Stanford researcher Bradley Boyd, co-founder of OpenDefense, any network transmitting military data can be treated as a legitimate target once conflict begins. This shift poses urgent ethical dilemmas for mobile operators and tech firms whose dual-use innovations—AI chip...

In this episode, MEF CEO Dario Betti sat down with Patrick George, CEO of iBasis, to discuss one of the biggest developments in wholesale telecom: iBasis’s deal with Telstra to take over its international wholesale assets. Patrick explains how this milestone perfectly fits iBasis’s long-term strategy of consolidation and scale, enabling the company to expand its global footprint into Asia-Pacific,...

Messaging, identity, and connectivity are no longer just technical challenges in the mobile ecosystem, they’re business imperatives. Enterprises demand seamless, secure interactions, consumers expect personalized experiences, and operators are racing to adapt to technologies like RCS while navigating complex global regulations. On this episode of Perspectives on Mobile, Riccardo Amati sits down wi...

Mobile network operators worldwide are developing unified API standards, fueled by the growing momentum of the Open Gateway Initiative. These efforts are driving new business models and strengthening fraud prevention across the industry. In this episode, host Riccardo Amati interviews two key figures shaping the future of mobile network APIs: Nick Rossman, Director of Programmes at MEF, and Viktor...

“VPN downloads up 1400%.” That’s MEF’s Tim Green on the immediate fallout of the UK’s new Online Safety Law, which enforces age verification for adult content and triggered 5 million extra checks daily. But users are dodging the system, raising doubts about the law’s effectiveness and exposing deeper cracks in the digital identity ecosystem. In this episode of  Perspectives , Riccardo Amati speaks...

Satellite IoT revenue is doubling — and reshaping wholesale telecom. As integration between satellite and terrestrial networks accelerates, traditional models are giving way to more flexible, standards-driven partnerships. This shift is redefining how mobile operators, IoT providers, and platforms monetize connectivity — with major implications for pricing, security, and cross-industry collaborati...