Mobile World Centre Opens, a Public Space Dedicated to Mobile Technologies and Citizens

BARCELONA, Spain, February 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The President of the Generalitat, Artur Mas, officially opened the Mobile World Centre Barcelona Espacio Movistar this afternoon, accompanied by Barcelona's Mayor and President of the Mobile World Capital Foundation, Xavier Trias, the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Victor Calvo-Sotelo, the Vice President of the Foundation, and the President of Telefónica España, Luis Miguel Gilpérez, the Managing Director of the GSMA, Anne Bouverot, and the President of Fira de Barcelona, Josep Lluís Bonet. Together, they spelt out the word 'Welcome' on  touch screens and as such declared the Centre open.

Located in Plaza Catalunya, the Mobile World Centre Espacio Movistar wants to turn the heart of Barcelona into an international benchmark in technology with the largest ever showcase of mobile telephony. The space, occupying 1,800 square metres on three floors, is a unique place to promote the use of new information and communication technologies to citizens, a chance to experiment with these technologies and show the potential of mobile communications to different segments of the population. In addition, the Mobile World Centre Espacio Movistar also aims to promote business opportunities for companies in this sector.

About the Mobile World Capital Barcelona

The MWCentre will make Barcelona the permanent centre of global mobile technologies, where people, companies and institutions work together to take full advantage of mobile technologies to transform our daily lives and create new business opportunities.

Promoted by Spain's Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the Autonomous Regional Government of Catalonia, the city of Barcelona, Fira de Barcelona, and GSMA - which represents the interests of 800 mobile operators worldwide and more than 200 companies in the mobile ecosystem - the project is based on four pillars: the MWHub and MWCongress, focusing on industrial and business development, the MWCentre and MWFestival with a higher social and civic impact. An Executive Committee is headed by Executive Vice Presidents John Hoffman and Agustín Cordón, and Managing Director Ginés Alarcón.

Video, images and documentation about the MWC are available at: http://www.welcomemobile.mobi/press