More than 60,000 people from around the world are attending this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. First held in 1987, the event is the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry. The event will see the release of a report by GSM, an association that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide.

The Mobile Economy 2013, which provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile industry and outlines the key opportunities and challenges for the mobile industry over the next five years. The 2013 version highlights the fact that globally there are 3.2 billion mobile telephone subscribers from right around the world. This number is expected to grow to 3.9 billion by the year 2017.

Vodafone's CEO Vittorio Colao (R) speaks as Telefonica's Chairman and CEO Cesar Alierta (L), China Mobile's Chairman Xi Guohua (2nd L), AT&T's Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson (3rd L) and GSMA's Anne Bouverot (2nd R) listen during a conference at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, February 25, 2013.

Global data numbers are also impressive, with the report projecting that there will be 5.1 billion broadband internet connections by the year 2017, up from the current 1.6 billion. This is a growth of 218%. Much of this growth is expected to be driven by the African continent as new and innovative ways of using the mobile phone are invented.

For example the report intimates that over 1 million African lives will be saved due to increased access to healthcare and the accruing benefits courtesy of a relatively new product M-health. Kenya's Safaricom has such a product up and running and the impact on the population has seen a steep uptake.

The benefits are also financial apparently, with the report also estimating that up to 400 million dollars will be saved over the next five years courtesy of the deployment of the m-health solution across developing countries. This means sizable savings for cash strapped countries. The report expects the mobile phone to not just impact on education in developing countries but also expects about 40 million people, a population which it says is comparable to the size of Kenya to that will become increasingly food secure courtesy of fleet telematics being employed in the transport of food to curb wastage.

Staff prepare the display at the Huawei Technologies Co. pavilion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday, Feb. 25, 2013.

Stephen Elop, chief executive officer of Nokia speaks during conference at the Mobile World Congress.