The Great Indoors has arrived in Barcelona
The Great Indoors is a podcast from Amdocs that explores how technology can help us overcome some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.
The Great Indoors (TGI for short) has proudly arrived in Barcelona as the official podcast sponsor for MWC 2023.
If you’ve visited the GSMA’s North American events in Los Angeles and more recently in Las Vegas, you may already be familiar with our award-winning podcast. But how did it all start and what lies in store for this year’s big event?
TGI was created three years ago as the world was plunged into the pandemic, forcing us to spend more time indoors than we ever imagined. Never before had conversation and connection been such an important variable in holding society together. Each week, our guests – industry leaders from across the spectrum – and I discussed how technology was underpinning our everyday lives. We discussed everchanging scenarios that were unfolding almost in real time, and how technology was a force for enabling life to continue. We expanded beyond pure technology and delved into many other societal issues that technology could positively influence.
Whether it was education, diversity, mental health, sports or entertainment, the topics we tackled became more varied and our guests more eclectic. We shared personal experiences, laughter and sorrow as the podcast gained popularity across the world. We were joined by thought leaders from some of the biggest service providers on the planet such as AT&T, Bell Canada, BT, Millicom, T-Mobile, Telefonica, UScellular, Verizon, Vodafone and more. The overarching commonality was the inherent obligation and passion that every one of them had for the wellbeing of the communities they serve. We even spoke with celebrities like Erin Brockovich (environmental activist who inspired the Oscar-winning movie in her namesake), Rainn Wilson, (Hollywood actor, aka Dwight Shrute from NBC sitcom, ‘The Office’) and Randi Zuckerberg (Facebook).
A recurring message, as the pandemic fades in the rear-view mirror, is the realization, that if technology can help us navigate through a deadly pandemic, maybe it can enable us to tackle the other challenges facing humanity – whether closing the digital divide, alleviating the threat of climate change, lifting the world out of poverty or improving education. As Rainn Wilson proclaimed in Season 2, “The pandemic is a warmup for the other big tests that are going to affect humanity!”
The road to Barcelona has been quite a journey. When we first brought TGI to MWC Los Angeles in 2021, it was the first time many of us had connected face-to-face for the best part of two years. The interactions and shared experiences were moving and profound. Meeting the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, who visited us with a group of underprivileged high school students from LA will live long in our memories. These youth, digital natives, all dreamt of careers in technology, and the mayor himself was sponsoring a project to alleviate the digital divide by giving these students the access, educational tools and connectivity to help them fulfill their potential. In another episode, Sampath Sowmyanatayan from Verizon, talked to us fervently about how his company was building partnerships and use cases that would transform healthcare and alleviate the global supply chain crisis. His zeal was infectious, and it was clear that our industry was looking at their role in the world very differently.
Then, during this past Fall, we took TGI to the inaugural MWC Las Vegas and recorded with a multitude of incredible industry personalities. Guest after guest brought their own amazing stories of incredible deeds leveraging technology for noble purposes. In one standout interview, Dr. Kiesha King from T-Mobile and Jeff Luong from AT&T enthralled us with their dedication to bringing connectivity to underserved areas across the United States, providing some communities for the very first time with access to quality internet that would change their lives and the prospects of their children.
This common theme continued as 2022 wound down, with TGI travelling to South America and Futurecom in Sao Paolo. Here, we found service providers, vendors, regulators and government united in their desire to bring connectivity to remote areas of South America to lift people out of poverty and enhance their lives. The passion in Brazil was unprecedented and the dialogue fresh, positive and enlightening.
As we stand on the cusp of the next industrial revolution, we need to ask ourselves if the new wave of technologies that coalesce around 5G can really make the world a better place. Is there now a newfound enthusiasm and propensity to really take on these challenges? We believe there is, and every conversation we’re having seems to reinforce this notion, giving the industry a new verve and a new inspiration. This will be the essence of our discussions at TGI.
So, after three years, over 80 guests and 60 episodes, we’ve now made it across the Atlantic to Europe, to the largest, most influential tech show on the planet. With MWC Barcelona back to full strength, it couldn’t be a greater time to do so. After the turmoil of the past few years, the whole world is here with loads of amazing stories, outlooks and perspectives just waiting to be told.
So come and visit us at Amdocs’ booth in Hall 3, Stand 3G10 and tell us your story. As the number one global podcast in our industry, it’s our mission to hear and broadcast your insights and journeys as part of our ambition to help those who build the future to make it amazing.
Find out more at www.amdocs.com/thegreatindoors.
