A smartphone is only as good as the network it is used on. And a lot of the decisions that affect the future of mobile communications occur at conferences, trades shows and their associated events. With that in mind, more than 150 wireless industry CEOs and board-level executives are set to meet next week for a two-day summit beginning on the eve of the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, which runs from February 23 to 26.

Organized by the GSM Association – the global trade organization for GSM operators - the first-ever Wireless Leadership Summit comprises two distinct sessions. On the first day (Feb 23), the Association’s Board will report back to the CEOs of more than 100 operators on the collective vision for the industry and its recommended initiatives to action in the year ahead. On the second day, leaders from wireless vendors and other partners will join the operators to discuss how best to take the agenda and accelerate market implementation.

The summit comes one year after the first meeting of the GSM Association’s new Board, comprising representatives from 23 operator companies and multinational groups, including the world’s 12 largest operators. Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association said, “the Leadership Summit marks a crucial time in the evolution of our industry, as our members deliver on the promise of data and multimedia services, and in so doing make mobility an increasingly important part of customers’ lives.”

With more than 970 million users at the end of December and an average of 15 million new users a month throughout 2003, as reported by EMC Database (a researcher and publisher of market intelligence on the wireless industry), the GSM Association said late last month that it expects the billionth GSM user to be connected during the first quarter of this year.

During 2003, more than 180 million new users joined the global GSM community representing 80% of the 227 million new digital mobile phone users connected worldwide and much more than the second most successful mobile technology (CDMA) had in total at the year-end.