SHANGHAI, China ― The 2014 Mobile Asia Expo, Asia’s largest mobile trade show, kicked off Wednesday, offering a glimpse into the future of mobile technology.

At the three-day mobile trade show, exhibitors from various industries, including Huawei, Deutsche Telecom and BMW, showcased their cutting-edge technologies, such as machine-to-machine communication solutions, wearable devices and smart cars.

Some participants of the event also displayed education and health care solutions, which will lead the global mobile market, according to officials from the organizer of the annual event.

“Asia Pacific is at the forefront of mobile subscriber growth and service innovation, reflecting its position as home to a diverse range of markets and people,” Anne Bouverot, director general of the GSM Association, the organizer of the trade show, said in a statement.

“Innovation in the region is happening at many levels, from leading the way in advanced super-fast mobile services in mature markets to providing essential services such as education, health care and banking in the developing world,” she added.

Prominent top executives of mobile and Internet firms participated in the event, including Zhang Jiping, deputy general manager of China’s leading mobile carrier China Telecom, and Wang Gaofei, the chief executive of Weibo, one of China’s largest social network services.

KT and SK Telecom, Korea’s two telecom giants, showed off their next-generation gigabit-class technologies, often referred to as 5G networks.

KT featured Wi-Fi networks that were three times faster than existing ones, while SK Telecom showed its convergent technology that incorporates health care solutions and smart education systems.

Also, mobile messenger firm Kakao’s joint chief executive Lee Sir-goo will deliver a keynote speech about new growth engines of the mobile industry on Thursday. 

By Kim Young-won, Korea Herald correspondent
(wone0102@heraldcorp.com)