Podcast

Ep 16 – #SaveMWC

It’s true. TelcoDR has swooped in to take over Ericsson’s forfeited Mobile World Congress space in Barcelona. That’s right, I’ve signed on to fill 6,000 square meters (65,000 square feet for you Americans) on the exhibit floor at GSMA’s MWC 2021. I can’t wait to bring the public cloud centerstage at this event! And I’m even more excited to host innovative disruptors in my space – telco software vendors that have gone ALL IN on the public cloud.

Attending MWC24? Meet you there!
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In this episode, I sit down with my good friend David Haselwood to talk about why I gave everything I had to make this opportunity happen and what it means for the telco industry. We talk about:

  • The question everyone wants to know – HOW did this happen? [3:14];
  • How it changes the conversation from the Has Beens to the Cloud Disruptors [6:11]; and
  • What we’re going to do with all this space [9:06].

And hey, if you know anyone at Ericsson, could you ask them if I can take over their hotel room blocks?

Links and Resources

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The Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s 2021 list of the Top 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list.

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Podcast Credits

  • Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios Royston, TelcoDR
  • Executive Producer: Kristin Donelson, OneLouder Marketing
  • Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
  • Editor/Producer: Alisa Jenkins Wilson, Springboard Marketing
  • Audio Editing: Andrew Condell
  • Music: Dyami Wilson

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How has TelcoDR end up with Ericsson’s MWC booth space?

When Ericsson announced it was pulling out of MWC Barcelona, Danielle Rios immediately saw an opportunity. She sent a tweet to GSMA and tagged GSMA CEO John Hoffman on LinkedIn, offering to takeover the space. Within hours, they had a deal. What started as a bold public post turned into a signed agreement for 6,000 square meters—over 65,000 square feet—of prime exhibit floor space at MWC Barcelona.

2. Why does Danielle Rios think Ericsson bailed on MWC?

DR’s take is blunt: Ericsson has nothing new to say. With no compelling message around the public cloud or Open RAN, using COVID as cover to skip the show is the easy move. She sees Ericsson’s exit as an opening for a new generation of cloud-native vendors to take center stage and shift the conversation away from legacy incumbents.

3. What is TelcoDR planning to do with the space?

DR plans to transform the Ericsson footprint into a “CLOUD CITY”—a public cloud destination showcasing innovative telco software vendors that have gone all-in on cloud. The goal is to recruit startups and disruptors, run high-quality demos, and give Ericsson’s own customers a compelling alternative vision for the future of telco. Telco software vendors built on public cloud are invited to exhibit for free. Learn more about Cloud City here.

4. What is Totogi, and why does DR mention it in this episode?

Totogi is a cloud-native telco software startup that DR highlights as the Salesforce to Amdocs’ Siebel—a fresh, public cloud-first challenger to the legacy BSS incumbents. DR sees MWC as an opportunity to introduce Totogi to Ericsson’s customer base. Watch her DSP Leaders World Forum talk for more on her thinking around Totogi and public cloud disruption.

5. What is DR’s broader strategy beyond the MWC booth?

DR outlines a three-part strategy: evangelizing public cloud adoption to telcos, identifying and supporting cloud-native startups like Totogi, and assembling a fund targeting at least $1 billion to acquire legacy telco software companies and aggressively reposition them for the public cloud. MWC is the most visible expression of this strategy—a chance to accelerate all three tracks simultaneously.

6. Is DR confident MWC 2021 will actually happen?

Yes—firmly. With COVID cases down nearly 50% from January peaks, vaccination rollouts accelerating, and the U.S. committing to vaccine availability for all adults by May 1st, DR believes June 28th is achievable. She argues that the companies bailing are the ones with nothing to say, while those with a real message—like the public cloud disruptors she is recruiting—will show up.