Catalonia leads the European implementation of the GSMA’s Mobile Connect service

• The goal is to access public digital services more easily and safely by using the mobile phone
• Catalonia leads on a European level, the implementation of the GSMA’s Mobile Connect solution, an innovative mobile-based authentication system that facilitates the management of public services
• This project is supported by the Administració Oberta de Catalunya (AOC), Generalitat de Catalunya, Mobile World Capital Foundation Barcelona, the GSMA, and mobile network operators Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone

September 5, 2017

The municipalities of Castellar del Vallés, Esparraguera and Manlleu are piloting the idCAT service which includes the GSMA’s Mobile Connect service. The solution facilitates public services management for citizens and combines idCAT, the public identification service of Catalonia, and the GSMA’s Mobile Connect service, an innovative mobile-based authenticator that is being promoted by mobile network operators worldwide.

The project is sponsored by the Administració Oberta de Catalunya (AOC), Generalitat de Catalunya, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation, the GSMA, and the mobile network operators Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone. The pilot will last six months and the service will be available for any customer of Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone. In the future, it is expected to be open to customers of other mobile network operators as they join the GSMA’s Mobile Connect project.

The GSMA’s Mobile Connect solution enables customers to create and manage a digital universal identity, across multiple online services, via a single login. The service simply and securely authenticates users, enabling them to digitally confirm their identity and their credentials and grant safe online access to mobile and digital services. Mobile Connect works by employing the user’s unique mobile number to verify and grant online access.

Therese Jamaa, General Manager Mobile World Capital, GSMA: “It is a great opportunity for MWCapital Barcelona to launch this type of initiative that will, through the collaboration of public and private institutions, have a positive impact on society.

Catalonia leads the European implementation of the GSMA’s Mobile Connect solution in the public sector

The municipalities of Catalonia and AOC Consortium demonstrate, once again, their commitment to digital transformation by putting the administration of government services in the hands of Catalonian citizens. The municipalities of Catalonia will be among the first public administrations in Europe to pilot the Mobile Connect solution in a real-world environment.

According to Manel Sanromà, director of AOC, “Currently, it’s very challenging to use digital identification in conducting business with the Administration, because the systems are quite complicated. The future of digital identification is centered around the mobile phone, using technologies such as idCAT using Mobile Connect that are very secure and easy to use. “

This pilot project aims to evaluate advantages in these three municipalities before planning a deployment in all Catalan administrations.