INSIGHT
NEW APPROACHES DRIVE CHANGE SALVADOR BLASCO Vice President of Business Development and Director General for Qualcomm Mexico
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Whether innovating a process or a product, the
Mexican telecoms businesses know they must diversify into
implementation of new ideas and approaches is a consistent
fresh areas or risk becoming obsolete. IoT offers them an
driver of significant change. Until now, Mexico has lagged
opportunity if they can change the lenses through which
in the race to innovate but technology accessibility and
they are experiencing the world, Blasco says. “Mexican
affordability are helping the country to catch up and
carriers have already realized that if they continue offering
could move it closer to its goal of becoming a hub for
just voice and data services, they will face a future similar to
innovation, says Salvador Blasco, Vice President of Business
that experienced by fixed-line telephone companies.” For
Development and Director General for Qualcomm Mexico.
Blasco, Mexican carriers have an invaluable opportunity to become the fabric that provides the connectivity required
“Innovation is not only the invention of new products. You
for the digitalization of a number of industries.
can improve an object or a process and that is innovation as well. Not having access to technology is no longer a valid
Government also has a role to play by crafting and
argument for lack of innovation,” Blasco says.
implementing appropriate public policies, for innovation and for the adaptation of new technologies. “The technology has
Blasco is convinced that Mexico is breaking through the
already been developed and it is both accessible and cost-
cultural barrier of inaction that has stunted creativity. It just
effective. It is a matter of political will rather than an economic
needs to take the next step. “We need to create momentum
issue.” Blasco cites two requirements. “For carriers to invest
to allow the emergence of people who are not afraid of
in technology such as 4G, the government must work on two
creating new products to solve existing problems,” he says.
things: free up radio spectrum for the signal to travel and implement a tax scheme that excludes connectivity.”
Knowledge transfer will play a key role in moving the country to this next level, Blasco says. Today’s innovators do not
Qualcomm itself thrives on innovation. The company is
have to start from scratch; there is a wealth of experience in
investing in designing of the future through the 5G network.
Mexico that the younger generation can tap, no matter their
Before this happens, Blasco says that 4G still has a long way
background. “Young people can stand on the shoulders of
to go but its full development requires the participation
those who came before them and create something.” Blasco
of both carriers and public policymakers. “Knowledge and
believes that opening the technology door to people with
intellectual property are what generate value in the fourth
different profiles will have a lasting and transformational
industrial revolution,” says Blasco. “We need to incentivize
impact because “diversity provides you with different
this and not hold it back.”
perspectives and approaches to solve a problem.” A new generation of thinkers will ultimately underpin any In the telecoms sector, Mexican carriers can look to foreign
efforts in innovation and online learning will help develop
companies to garner insights on best practices that can
these new innovators. Qualcomm is helping to ensure they
be implemented at home. IoT is one area where Mexican
have access to materials in their language, overcoming
companies can get ahead of a nascent technology by
one key online hurdle for Spanish speakers: much of
emulating their international counterparts. “Carriers in
the content is in English. “There are not enough online
other parts of the world are doing their part to develop IoT
courses in Spanish for people to self-motivate and begin
products. These companies are investing in their own R&D
building something.” Qualcomm is making the content of
departments or are working alongside entrepreneurs to
its Qualcomm Developer Network available in Spanish and
develop new products. They might not have the know-how
Portuguese, allowing potential innovators to find tools and
but they are working on developing it or helping someone
resources to integrate their technologies into apps and
else to do it.”
devices related to IoT, among others.
