The Mobile

Economy
2025
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile
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Contents
Executive summary 2

1. The mobile industry in numbers 8

1.1 Mobile market update 9
1.2 Economic impact of mobile 17

2. Mobile industry trends 21

2.1 5G: the industry focus shifts to realising 5G’s full potential 22
2.2 Energy efficiency: a top priority for the industry 25
2.3 AI: new opportunities to serve enterprises 28
2.4 Global digital transformation survey: understanding enterprise needs 30
and supplier opportunities
2.5 Global consumer survey: shifting consumer behaviour and rising 33
expectations

3 Mobile industry impact 35

4 Mobile industry enablers 38

4.1 Meeting connectivity needs through effective spectrum policies 39
Executive
summary
Today, mobile connectivity is not only a means for Mobile technologies and services now generate
people to communicate, but also an important tool around 5.8% of global GDP, a contribution that
for governments and other authorities to stimulate amounts to $6.5 trillion of economic value added.
socioeconomic progress, support vulnerable people By 2030, this figure will rise to almost $11 trillion, or
and build innovative solutions to enhance the well- 8.4% of GDP. Much of this will be driven by countries
being of society. Mobile connectivity has helped around the world increasingly benefiting from the
provide much-needed relief to victims of conflicts improvements in productivity and efficiency brought
and various disasters around the world, and 4G and about by the increased take-up of mobile services
5G networks, which now support more than 7 billion and digital technologies, including 5G, IoT and AI.
connections collectively, have formed the basis for
Meanwhile, as of February 2025, 72 operator groups
the development of many smart solutions across
had signed up to the GSMA Open Gateway initiative,
various economic sectors.
accounting for 78.5% of mobile connections globally.
Open Gateway use cases around mitigating fraud and
other security threats underline the commitment of
the industry to ensuring a safe digital environment for
individuals and enterprises.

Executive summary 2 / 41
Key trends shaping the
mobile ecosystem

The focus shifts to realising 5G’s full GSMA Intelligence enterprise and
potential consumer surveys reveal key insights
Operators and other 5G ecosystem players, In 2024, GSMA Intelligence conducted surveys on
especially in pioneering markets, have shifted their digital transformation trends among enterprises
focus to deploying advanced 5G networks, with a and behaviour/technology adoption trends among
view to delivering enhanced services to consumers consumers. Enhancing security and protecting
and businesses. 5G standalone (SA) networks against cybersecurity threats ranked as the top
will be pivotal to fully realising the capabilities of digital transformation objective among enterprises.
5G-Advanced. After a slow start, the rollout of 5G This reflects the expanded attack surface facing
SA networks is beginning to gain momentum. As enterprises, as well as the threat posed from new
of December 2024, 60 operators globally offered forms of AI and rapid digitisation. For consumers,
commercial 5G services on SA networks, with Asia video streaming topped the list of add-ons to 5G
Pacific leading the way, followed by Europe. bundles. This highlights the strong demand for
digital entertainment services and reinforces the
importance of bundling content offerings with 5G
Energy efficiency is a top priority plans.
Energy efficiency within networks continues to be a
top priority for operators and network vendors in the
short-to-medium term, ahead of many other industry
topics. There are two main factors supporting the
focus on energy efficiency in 2025 and beyond:
costs and sustainability. Energy typically accounts
for approximately 20% of operators' total operational
costs, according to a GSMA Intelligence survey,
while improving energy efficiency has become
crucial to meeting the expectations of stakeholders,
including investors and customers, around
sustainability.

AI opens up enterprise revenue

opportunities
The telecoms industry has been at the forefront
of AI adoption, with application in areas such as
network operations, energy optimisation, customer
call centres for automatic language recognition and
retail operations. While early deployments have
focused on internal solutions to improve network
performance and customer services, there is a
growing shift towards developing AI solutions for
external customers, particularly in the enterprise
segment, as a means to generate new revenue
opportunities.

Executive summary 3 / 41
Policies for growth
and innovation
Mobile’s ability to deliver economic growth relies on Spectrum plans that enable enterprise digitalisation
spectrum. The mobile ecosystem is already working are also part of roadmap planning. This means
with governments to plan spectrum for 6G, which that operators will require spectrum not just for
will come into use around the 2030s. Channel sizes consumers but for industrial connectivity. Now that
will increase from 100 MHz in the 5G era to 200–400 connecting enterprises is a maturing sector, the
MHz in the next phase of mobile evolution. practice of setting aside spectrum for specific uses
is being limited. Setting aside spectrum for specific
Spectrum must be effectively licensed at the correct
uses, such as local or bespoke private networks,
time. To deliver this, countries would benefit from the
does not encourage private networks (as had been
development of spectrum roadmaps that consider
initially thought), but harms the amount of spectrum
market dynamics and growth in demand for mobile
available to provide industrial connectivity through
data. Roadmaps are an important means of ensuring
mobile operators. Small set-asides to encourage
there is sufficient spectrum for future demand from
experimentation and creativity (e.g. in 4.1–4.2 GHz
consumers and new technologies. Information on
or in non-core bands) are continuing, which are less
spectrum releases is critical for mobile operators
disruptive.
to prepare investment plans, secure financing
and develop arrangements for deploying different The cost of spectrum also has a major impact.
technologies. Governments and regulators should assign 5G
spectrum to support their digital connectivity
goals, rather than as a means of maximising state
revenues. Effective spectrum pricing policies are
vital to support better-quality and more affordable 5G
services.

Executive summary 4 / 41
The Mobile Economy
Unique mobile subscribers Mobile internet subscribers

2024
5.8bn
71% penetration rate*
2024
4.7bn
58% penetration rate*

2030

6.5bn
76% penetration rate*
*Percentage of population
2030
5.5bn
64% penetration rate*
*Percentage of population

Operator revenues
and investment
Smartphones

$1.08tn
(percentage of connections)
2024

80%
2024
91%
2030
2030
$1.25tn
Operator capex of $1.3 trillion for the
period 2024–2030

Mobile’s contribution to GDP

$6.5tn
Excluding licensed cellular IoT

4G (percentage of connections) 2024

5.8% of GDP

58% 35%
2030

$11tn
8.4% of GDP
2024 2030

Public funding

$600bn
Excluding licensed cellular IoT

5G (percentage of connections)
Mobile ecosystem contribution to public funding
(before regulatory and spectrum fees)

25% 57%
Employment

2024 2030
24m jobs directly supported
by the mobile ecosystem

Excluding licensed cellular IoT

16m jobs indirectly supported
Subscriber and technology trends*
Asia Pacific1 Eurasia

Technology mix Technology mix

8+4+7018K 1+1+4850K 5+20+741K 1+6+5340K

17% 9% 1% 1% 1% 5% 1% 6%
4% 20% 41%
50%

47%

2024 2030 2024 2030

71% 74% 53%

2G 3G 4G 5G 2G 3G 4G 5G

Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption

2024 2024 2024 2024
70% 81% 79% 86%
2030 2030 2030 2030
76% 94% 83% 93%

Europe Greater China

Technology mix Technology mix

2+4+6331K 2+18+80K 45+55+K 12+88+K

2% 2%
4% 12%
30% 81% 18% 45%
55%

2024 2030 2024 2030

88%
63%

2G 3G 4G 5G 2G 3G 4G 5G

Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption

2024 2024 2024 2024
88% 82% 86% 87%
2030 2030 2030 2030
89% 91% 89% 93%

* Percentage of total connections (excluding licensed cellular IoT)

Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.

1. Asia Pacific in this report excludes Greater China unless otherwise stated.

Executive summary 6 / 41
Subscriber and technology trends*
Latin America Middle East and North Africa

Technology mix Technology mix

3+21+688K 8+39+53K 9+19+657K 2+8+4149K

3% 2%
9% 8% 7% 9% 8%
21%
53% 19% 49%
39%

2024 2030 2024 2030

67% 66% 41%

2G 3G 4G 5G 2G 3G 4G 5G

Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption

2024 2024 2024 2024
70% 81% 64% 84%
2030 2030 2030 2030
79% 93% 71% 90%

North America Sub-Saharan Africa

Technology mix Technology mix

1+44+55K 11+89+K 11+48+383K 2+29+5217K

1% 3% 2%
11% 11% 17%
44% 38%
55% 89%
28%
49%

2024 2030 2024 2030

52%

2G 3G 4G 5G 2G 3G 4G 5G

Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption Subscriber penetration Smartphone adoption

2024 2024 2024 2024
83% 86% 46% 54%
2030 2030 2030 2030
87% 90% 55% 81%

* Percentage of total connections (excluding licensed cellular IoT)

Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Executive summary 7 / 41
01
The mobile industry
in numbers
1.1
Mobile market update

Almost 60% of the

By the end of 2024, 58% of the world’s population
used mobile internet, equating to 4.7 billion users

world’s population – an increase of 2.2 billion since 2015. However,

the growth rate at which people are adopting

subscribed to mobile mobile internet has slowed in recent years. Around

110 million people started using mobile internet in

internet at the end 2024, which is slightly down on the 2022 and 2023
figures, and significantly lower than growth in 2015–

of 2024 2021, when more than 200 million people became

connected each year.

Of the 3.4 billion people who remain unconnected to

mobile internet, almost 90% live in an area already
covered by mobile broadband but do not use mobile
internet. With mobile internet adoption outpacing
network expansion, this usage gap has continued
to shrink, standing at 38% by the end of 2024.
However, the usage gap remains nine times the size
of the coverage gap, and is over 45% in Asia Pacific,
the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan
Africa.

Figure 1 Coverage gap

Mobile internet connectivity by region, 2024 Usage gap
Connected
Percentage of population

1% 1% 1% 3% 6% 3% 4% 13%

19% 20% 20%

30%
30%
45% 46%

58%

80% 79% 79%

67% 64%
52% 50%

29%

Greater Europe North Eurasia Latin Asia Pacific MENA Sub-

China America America Saharan
Africa

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 9 / 41

There will be almost
Despite near saturation in high-income countries,
there is still room for growth in mobile internet

800 million new mobile subscribers across many low- and middle-income
countries (LMICs). Consequently, mobile internet

internet subscribers penetration is projected to increase to 5.5 billion by

2030, encompassing 64% of the global population.

by 2030 Almost 40% of new mobile internet subscribers

between 2025 and 2030 are expected to come from
Asia Pacific, driven by growth in India, Pakistan and
Indonesia. In the same period, Sub-Saharan Africa
is expected to account for nearly a quarter of new
mobile internet subscribers, while Latin America and
the Middle East and North Africa are each anticipated
to contribute just over 10%.

Figure 2
Top 15 markets by increase in mobile internet subscribers, 2025–2030
Million

India China Indonesia Nigeria Bangladesh

141 45 38 32 25

US Ethiopia Philippines Egypt

24 19 16 15

Pakistan
39

DR Mexico
Congo 14
Brazil Angola 15
24 18

Tanzania
11

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 10 / 41

By 2028, 5G adoption
The share of mobile connections on 4G is beginning
to wane as 5G commercialisation gathers pace. As

will surpass 4G adoption of December 2024, 305 operators in 121 markets

had launched commercial 5G mobile services. More
countries are expected to follow, with 80 operators
from 60 markets announcing launch plans for mobile
5G services in the coming years.

With 2G and 3G networks accounting for less than

20% of mobile connections worldwide, legacy
networks are being phased out in many regions.
By the end of November 2024, a total of 152 networks
had been shut down and another 131 networks were
planned to be shut down by 2030.2 Asia Pacific and
Europe lead the way, accounting for around 70% of
network sunsets to date. Network sunsets enable
more efficient spectrum use while also reducing
energy consumption.

Figure 3
5G
Mobile adoption by technology 4G
Percentage of total connections 3G
2G

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Source: GSMA Intelligence

2. Spectrum: five trends to watch in 2025, GSMA Intelligence, December 2024

The mobile industry in numbers 11 / 41

The number of 5G
By the end of 2024, 5G accounted for more than half
of mobile connections in North America, Greater

connections worldwide China and developed Asia Pacific. Growth will

intensify in the second half of this decade, with 5G

surpassed 2 billion at adoption set to exceed 80% in leading 5G markets by

2030.

the end of 2024 It is still early days for 5G adoption in most emerging
5G markets. However, 5G adoption will gather pace
over the next few years with the arrival of cheaper 5G
smartphones and new spectrum assignments. As a
result, 5G is expected to account for almost 40% of
total mobile connections in LMICs (excluding China)
by the end of the decade, equivalent to 2.3 billion
connections.

Figure 4
2025-2030 increase
5G adoption in leading and emerging 5G markets 2024
Percentage of total connections

5G connections
Leading 5G markets (2030)

GCC states 95% 98m

Developed Asia Pacific* 93% 305m

North America 89% 459m

Greater China 88% 1.81bn

Europe 81% 651m

Emerging 5G markets

Latin America 53% 417m

Rest of Asia Pacific 45% 1.25bn

Rest of MENA 43% 331m

Eurasia 41% 143m

Sub-Saharan Africa 17% 247m

* Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 12 / 41

5G FWA
5G fixed wireless access (FWA) has emerged as an
important use case in the consumer and enterprise

commercialisation segments, complementing operators’ enhanced

mobile broadband (eMBB) offerings. As of December

shows good momentum 2024, 146 operators in 72 markets had launched

5G FWA services, while a further 21 operators in 16
markets have announced plans to launch 5G FWA
services in the coming years.

With 11.6 million 5G FWA connections at the end of

2024, the US is the world’s largest 5G FWA market,
followed by India at 2.3 million connections. Three
markets will have a 5G FWA penetration of 10% or
more by the end of 2025 (as a percentage of fixed
broadband connections): Austria (23%), the US (11%)
and India (10%). Many more countries are set to hit
this figure by the end of the decade.3

Figure 5
2030
5G FWA penetration in select markets 2024
Percentage of fixed broadband connections

33%

21%
20%
18%
16%
16% 15% 15%
14%
13% 13%

9% 9%
8%
7% 7% 6%
4% 5% 5%

Austria Australia India US UK Bulgaria Germany Italy Switzerland Poland

Source: GSMA Intelligence

3. Fixed and pay-TV markets: five trends to watch in 2025, GSMA Intelligence, December 2024

The mobile industry in numbers 13 / 41

Mobile data traffic will
Mobile data traffic has experienced massive
growth globally over the past decade, driven by the

rise threefold in the increasing adoption of smartphones and growing

consumption of both short-form and long-form video

period to 2030 content. These trends are expected to continue with

the growing consumption of video on social media
platforms and the rise of AI-generated content and
services, which will drive new demands on mobile
networks, particularly for uplink traffic.

A further boost to data traffic could come from the

adoption of extended reality devices; however, these
remain niche and are only likely to meaningfully
contribute towards data traffic growth nearer the end
of the decade. Smartphones remain the dominant
consumer device and are projected to make up 91%
of mobile connections by 2030, up from 80% in
2024.4 This increase is supported by the growing
availability of financing plans and more affordable
devices in LMICs.

Figure 6 North America Eurasia

Mobile data traffic per mobile connection Greater China Latin America

GB per month Asia Pacific MENA

Europe Sub-Saharan Africa

100 CAGR

90
16%
80

70
22%
60

50
20%
21%
40 17%
22%
30
16%
20

10
21%
0
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Source: GSMA Intelligence

4. Excluding licensed cellular IoT connections

The mobile industry in numbers 14 / 41

Mobile revenue growth
The highly competitive nature of the mobile industry
market is restricting prospects for revenue growth,

is expected to remain as highlighted by the weak projections for mobile

average revenue per user (ARPU) during this decade.

tepid through to 2030 ARPU growth will be strongest in LMICs, with a

projected CAGR of 3% between 2024 and 2030
(versus 1% in high-income countries).

The limited prospects for mobile revenue growth

mean there is increased pressure on operators to
diversify their services and generate new revenue
streams in adjacent areas. The enterprise segment
remains a focus for the industry, with the launch
of the next iteration of 5G networks an important
underpinning for growth prospects in this area.

Figure 7
2030
Monthly ARPU by mobile connection, by income group 2024

$30

$25

$20

$15

$10

$5

$0
Global average Low income Lower middle Upper middle High income
income income

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 15 / 41

Operators step up their
Pressure on connectivity revenues is driving efforts
in new areas. One example is the GSMA Open

revenue diversification Gateway initiative, which aims to leverage the power

of mobile networks globally by opening up access

efforts to network capabilities through common application

programming interfaces (APIs). As of February 2025,
72 operator groups had signed up to the GSMA
Open Gateway initiative, accounting for 78.5% of
mobile connections globally. The focus in 2025 will
be on translating these commitments into further
commercial launches.

Mitigating fraud and other security threats has been

the most prevalent use case of APIs deployed by
mobile operators and their partners. There are a
range of APIs in this domain, including SIM Swap,
Number Verification and One Time Password SMS.
The use of Open Gateway APIs for payments and
network-related functions (e.g. quality of service and
edge compute) is still nascent and expected to grow.
Developers value these capabilities, with around 40%
citing edge and payments as the most attractive to
their enterprise customers (jointly the second highest
after security applications).5

Figure 8
Number of GSMA Open Gateway API launches, by country High
Medium
Low

Data correct to 26 February 2025

Source: GSMA Intelligence

5. GSMA Open Gateway: State of the Market, H2 2024, GSMA Intelligence, 2024

The mobile industry in numbers 16 / 41

1.2
Economic impact of mobile6

Mobile added $6.5

In 2024, mobile technologies and services generated
5.8% of global GDP, a contribution that amounted to

trillion of economic $6.5 trillion of economic value added. The greatest

benefits came from the productivity effects reaching

value to the economy over $4 trillion, followed by the direct contribution of

the mobile ecosystem generating $1.6 trillion.

in 2024 The impacts of mobile technologies include

connectivity and digital transformation. The former
refers to the use of mobile technologies, while the
latter involves the integration by enterprises of
advanced mobile and digital technologies such as
5G, IoT and AI.

The mobile ecosystem is formed of three categories:

mobile operators; infrastructure and equipment;
and content and services. The infrastructure
and equipment category encompasses network
equipment providers, device manufacturers and IoT
companies. Meanwhile, the content and services
category encompasses content, mobile application
and service providers, distributors and retailers, and
mobile cloud services.

Figure 9
Economic contribution of mobile, 2024
Billion, percentage of GDP
$4,240 $6,480

Mobile ecosystem 3.7%

5.8%

$690

$390 0.6%
$520 0.4%
$640 0.5%

0.6%

Mobile Infrastructure Content and Indirect Productivity Total

operators and equipment services
providers

Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Source: GSMA Intelligence

6. Compared to previous editions of the Mobile Economy report, we have made adjustments to the economic impact methodology by incorporating the wider impacts of
digitalisation, including for enterprises and consumers. Further details can be found in the Mobile Economy Economic Impact methodology.

The mobile industry in numbers 17 / 41

Mobile’s economic
By 2030, mobile's contribution to the global economy
is expected to reach almost $11 trillion, or 8.4%

contribution will of GDP. Much of this will be driven by countries

around the world increasingly benefiting from the

reach nearly $11 trillion improvements in productivity and efficiency brought

about by the increased take-up of mobile services

by 2030 and digital technologies, including 5G, IoT and AI.

Figure 10
Economic impact of mobile
Billion, percentage of GDP

$10,860
$10,410
$9,750
$8,990
$8,180
$7,330
$6,480

8.4%

5.8%

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 18 / 41

The global mobile
Mobile operators and the wider mobile ecosystem
provided direct employment to 24 million people

ecosystem supported across the world. In addition, the economic activity

in the ecosystem generated around 16 million jobs in

around 40 million jobs other sectors, meaning that around 40 million jobs
were directly or indirectly supported.

in 2024
Figure 11
Employment impact of the mobile ecosystem, 2024
Jobs (million)

16

40

24

Direct Indirect Total

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The fiscal contribution

In 2024, the mobile sector made a substantial
contribution to the funding of the public sector, with

of the mobile ecosystem around $600 billion raised through taxes on the
sector. The major contribution was driven by services

reached $600 billion VAT, sales taxes and excise duties, which generated
$220 billion, followed by employment taxes and

in 2024 social security, which generated $180 billion.

Figure 12
Fiscal contribution of the mobile ecosystem, 2024
Billion

$180

$90
$600
$110

$220

Services VAT, Handset VAT, Corporate taxes Employment Total

sales taxes and sales taxes, on profits taxes and social
excise duties excise and security
customs duties
Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 19 / 41

5G and its ecosystem
Mobile technologies and the ensuing digital
transformation will boost the economy by nearly

will significantly boost $11 trillion in 2030. Much of this will materialise
in regions with a higher integration of digital

GDP by the end of the technologies in enterprises, including North

America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Towards the end

decade of the decade, LMICs are expected to realise an

increasing proportion of economic benefits as mobile
technology achieves greater scale and widespread
adoption. However, current adoption of more
advanced technologies in LMICs is lagging behind
adoption in high-income countries.

Mobile technologies are expected to benefit all

sectors of the global economy, although some
industries will benefit more than others due to
their ability to incorporate the latest wave of digital
technologies, including 5G, IoT and AI. The benefits
of digital transformation will primarily be driven
by the enterprise segment. These gains will stem
from new revenue streams and improvements in
productivity and efficiency enabled by the growing
adoption of digital technologies. Between 2024 and
2030, 25% of benefits are expected to originate in
the manufacturing sector.

Figure 13
ICT Public administration
Mobile technologies' contribution to GDP
Agriculture Construction and real estate
by industry, 2024 –2030 Finance Accommodation and food services
Trillion Services Manufacturing

$12

8%
$10
6%
8%
$8 9%

14%
$6

13%
$4
17%

$2
25%

$0
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Source: GSMA Intelligence

The mobile industry in numbers 20 / 41

02
Mobile industry
trends
2.1
5G: the industry focus shifts to realising
5G’s full potential
5G is now in its sixth year since launch and is 5G momentum is expected to continue, with over 80
commercially available in over 120 countries around operators across more than 60 markets intending to
the world, underlining the technology’s growing launch commercial 5G services in the coming years.
maturity and reach. By the end of this year, 5G Most of the new 5G launches will be in emerging
connections will account for nearly a third of total markets, where regulators are increasingly making
mobile connections globally. For comparison, 3G and efforts to issue 5G permits and spectrum to keep
4G accounted for 10% and 15% of total connections pace with global technology trends. In Egypt,
at the same period in their respective deployment for example, the National Telecommunications
cycles. The rapid uptake of 5G, relative to earlier Regulatory Authority (NTRA) granted 5G licences
generations, has been driven by a combination of to Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt and e& Egypt in
factors, including the availability of cheaper devices October 2024, after Telecom Egypt received its 5G
(especially in lower-income markets), increased licence earlier in the year, marking a significant step
demand from consumers and businesses seeking towards 5G deployment.
faster speeds, and operator investment in spectrum
and infrastructure upgrades.

Mobile industry trends 22 / 41

Advanced networks and innovation fuel new offerings
5G has no doubt revolutionised mobile technology, across verticals and having a network that enables
with consumers and businesses benefiting from advanced 5G features and capabilities are two critical
some of its key features, notably faster speeds. factors required to realise the technology’s potential.
Insights from the GSMA Intelligence consumer survey
In this context, operators and other 5G ecosystem
show that nearly half of 5G users have added or
players, especially in pioneering markets, have
are interested in add-ons, compared to 33% for 4G
shifted their focus to deploying advanced 5G
users, with video streaming being the most popular
networks, with a view to delivering enhanced
add-on. Meanwhile, 5G FWA remains the most
services to consumers and businesses. A first step in
appealing use case for consumers, according to the
this journey for operators is the rollout of 5G services
same survey. By the end of December 2024, there
based on the standalone (SA) network architecture.
were 144 5G FWA networks, representing 48% of 5G
After a slow start, the rollout of 5G SA networks
mobile networks, in 70 countries around the world.
is beginning to gain momentum. According to the
Despite the progress so far, the broad consensus GSMA Intelligence network transformation survey,
among industry players is that 5G still has a long 5G SA is a top investment priority for more than 50%
way to reach its full potential. In practice, realising of operators surveyed. As of December 2024, 60
the technology’s potential involves the development operators globally offered commercial 5G services on
and mass adoption of new use cases that can SA networks, with Asia Pacific leading, followed by
have a transformational impact on consumers and Europe. Together, these two regions account for two
businesses and support the long-term financial thirds of commercial SA networks.
sustainability of the mobile industry. Digital innovation

Figure 14
1
Number of operators that have deployed 5G SA, by country 2
3
4

Data correct to December 2024

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Mobile industry trends 23 / 41

 5G SA networks will be crucial to fully realising the
capabilities of 5G-Advanced – the next phase of 5G
technology, which will improve network performance
and enable new applications. 5G-Advanced has risen
to the top of the list of operator technology priorities:
80% of operators surveyed in the GSMA Intelligence
operator survey intend to launch 5G-Advanced
within two years after the release of 5G-Advanced
standards, and more than 90% intend to launch 3–4
years after the release of standards. While this may
seem rather optimistic, it emphasises the confidence
in the potential of the technology to support B2B
revenue goals – ahead of other much-talked-about
technologies, such as AI, network API exposure and
private networks, according to the GSMA Intelligence
Network Transformation Survey 2024.

Operators in several countries have begun to

announce 5G-Advanced service launches and take
steps to develop innovative solutions for consumers
and enterprises, such as the following:

• Verizon has launched enhanced video calling

on iPhones by using 5G-Advanced features.
These enable network slicing to power a service
that improves connectivity in congested areas.
The enhanced video calling provides a better
experience across apps, including Zoom, FaceTime
and WhatsApp, minimising disruptions for business
users.

• China Mobile used its 5G-Advanced network to

create a new experience for spectators during
the 2024 Shanghai marathon, with 5G-Advanced
devices worn by runners used to deliver live 3D
broadcasts of the race. China Mobile also uses the
technology to offer differentiated services, with
upgrade options generating incremental revenues.

• Du has launched a 5G-Advanced Commercial

Innovation Centre to explore how the capabilities of
5G-Advanced can create innovative new services.
The Innovation Centre, based in Dubai, will work to
develop new services in the consumer, home and
enterprise segments, leveraging 5G-Advanced’s
improved capabilities over traditional 5G.

5G-Advanced has risen to

the top of the list of operator
technology priorities

Mobile industry trends 24 / 41

2.2
Energy efficiency: a top priority for the
industry
Energy efficiency has gained significant attention in vendors in the short-to-medium term (see Figure 15),
recent years due to energy price increases and the ahead of many other industry topics, according to the
advent of 5G technology. Energy efficiency continues GSMA Intelligence Network Transformation Survey.
to be a top priority for operators and network

Figure 15 Extremely important

The importance of energy efficiency for mobile operators Very important

Moderately important
Percentage of respondents
Slightly important
Not at all important

2024

2023

2022

2021

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Source: GSMA Intelligence Network Transformation Survey 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025

There are two main factors supporting the focus on • Sustainability: Stakeholder expectations about
energy efficiency in 2025 and beyond: sustainability are consistent and increasingly
strict. Investors prefer green investment portfolios,
• Costs: Financial considerations play a major role
sustainability is an important factor for younger
in operators’ strategies. According to the latest
consumers and Scope 3 emissions reporting
GSMA Intelligence Energy Efficiency Analysis and
requires the entire value chain to provide detailed
Benchmarking project, energy typically accounts
reporting. Energy consumption, particularly in
for approximately 20% of an operator’s total
regions where the energy mix relies heavily on
operational costs. Furthermore, energy remains
non-renewable sources, is a major contributor to
the only major variable cost that is not expected to
Scope 3 emissions. Therefore, improving energy
decrease. While network operators are expected to
efficiency not only reduces emissions but also
reduce expenditures on other variable costs such
helps operators meet stakeholder expectations
as labour and site rental, through virtualisation, AI
around sustainability.
and site simplification, energy usage is influenced
by coverage, the number of network layers, new
services and the number of sites – all of which are
expected to increase. Thus, energy efficiency will
be a true differentiator for wireless networks.

Mobile industry trends 25 / 41

Measuring energy efficiency in the 5G era
Energy efficiency plays a critical role, but effectively across their networks.7 The initiative provides a
measuring energy efficiency remains a complex standardised framework for assessing energy
challenge due to the diverse nature of networks, performance, allowing operators to identify areas
varying traffic patterns and the interplay of different for improvement and implement best practices. It
energy sources. Recognising the significance of remains challenging to draw definitive conclusions
this issue, GSMA Intelligence launched its Energy about year-on-year changes, however, due to the
Efficiency Analysis and Benchmarking study to help steadily growing number of network operators
operators measure and compare energy efficiency included in the study each year.

Figure 16
How much energy do different parts of the mobile network consume?

3%
Other
Energy efficiency
15% in 2024 (average):
Core and data
centres

0.12 kWh/GB
82%
Radio network

Note: Mobile networks only (excludes fixed).

Source: GSMA Intelligence Energy Efficiency Analysis and Benchmarking project

7. Going green: measuring the energy efficiency of mobile networks 2025, GSMA Intelligence, 2025

Mobile industry trends 26 / 41

Network operator use cases to boost energy efficiency
Maximising energy efficiency while ensuring STC: STC is using AI-based network planning
high-quality network service is a complex and engineering to conduct the biggest-ever
challenge, especially as business demands network expansion in Saudi Arabia while
and network traffic continue to increase. committing to net zero by 2060. Solution
While operators may have diverse operational capabilities include multi-dimensional network
backgrounds, initiatives to improve energy insight, service traffic identification and service
efficiency can follow a common structure. cut-over orchestration.
However, every project must be carefully fine-
Telkom Openserve: Openserve is using an
tuned and tailored to its specific scenario. Some
AI-based energy management system to help
examples are highlighted below:
address the energy shortage for fixed networks
China Mobile: China Mobile is using the latest in South Africa. The system determines the best
technologies, including 5G-Advanced, open APIs balance between the use of diesel, battery and
and AI-powered network planning, to develop grid energy based on network data, weather and
a clean energy society in China. This covers a load shedding data.
wide range of deployment scenarios, including
Hong Kong Telecom: Hong Kong Telecom
outdoor users in Shanghai and indoor users in
is using its data-driven network operational
Shenzhen.
platform and open APIs to model and integrate
different data sources to support network
site modernisation and different vertical
applications, including unmanned drones for
building inspections and emergency medical
services.

Mobile industry trends 27 / 41

2.3
AI: new opportunities to serve enterprises
The telecoms industry has been at the forefront Each advancing level of AI offers different
of AI adoption, with applications in areas such as capabilities and/or deeper intelligence. At its
network operations, energy optimisation, customer simplest, core AI is the application of intelligence in
call centres for automatic language recognition and machines. Machine learning extends this by working
retail operations. This has become a bigger trend with larger datasets. Generative AI (genAI) goes
in recent years as operators explore solutions to further to enable content creation without the need
improve operational efficiency, tackle emerging for defined input parameters. Given the plethora of
and more sophisticated threats and meet evolving options, the value of AI for operators is a function of
customer expectations. This trend will remain for the selecting the right approach and technology for the
foreseeable future as the AI landscape continues to right use case.
evolve with new developments and innovation from
operators, network vendors, cloud providers and the
broader digital ecosystem.

Figure 17
Examples of telco-specific use cases with AI

Core AI IT functions
Network planning
and operation
Network fault
detection Inventory
management

Machine
learning
Predictive Security threat
Security
maintenance response detection

Sales and
marketing

GenAI
Personalised
service creation

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Mobile industry trends 28 / 41

Early deployments have focused on internal solutions However, there is a growing shift towards developing
to improve performance across the various layers solutions for external customers, particularly in the
of the telecoms value chain, such as network fault enterprise segment, as a means to generate new
detection and automating more of the functions revenue opportunities from the capabilities of the
used in customer-care centres. For example, China technology. Table 1 highlights some examples of
Unicom and ZTE have launched an AI-driven anti- operator activities in this area.
fraud system solution to enhance network defence,
while Vodafone, in collaboration with Google, is using
genAI to enhance the network lifecycle.

Table 1
Examples of operator-led AI solutions for enterprises

Operator Activity

China Mobile intends to accelerate the deep integration of AI into all production and operational
processes of the financial industry to help reduce operating costs, increase efficiency and boost
China Mobile
core competitiveness. The operator is collaborating with financial regulators and institutions to
implement national strategies aimed at accelerating the development of digital finance.

Indosat Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison teamed up with India-based AI and data analytics company AIonOS
Ooredoo to develop applications for enterprises in the Indonesian market, with a focus on AI for smart
Hutchison agriculture, AI talent development and tourism in Indonesia.

LG Uplus plans to invest up to KRW3 trillion ($2.1 billion) and forge close relationships with tech
giants to help it become an AI transformation company. Through its ambitious AI-fuelled ‘All in AI’
LG Uplus
enterprise services strategy, the operator hopes to generate KWR2 trillion ($1.4 billion) in annual
revenues by 2028.

Orange Business has launched a new multi-LLM solution it calls Live Intelligence, which it says will
help enterprises and government entities adopt AI more readily due to its ease of operation. The
Orange
plug-and-play service has been used internally and will initially target enterprises in France before
expanding across Europe.

Rakuten Mobile has unveiled a genAI service for enterprises in Japan to support their digital
transformation with access to low-cost and accurate models. A Rakuten Group survey found only
Rakuten one in six small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan use AI, with 40% of non-users
unaware of the benefits of AI. The operator intends to target the new service at its existing base of
18,000 enterprise clients as well as Rakuten Group’s 630,000 corporate customers.

In October 2024, Singtel introduced its AI cloud service through a partnership with Silicon Valley
Singtel
firm Scale AI, aimed at allowing enterprises to deploy and scale up their genAI applications.

Swisscom has developed the Swiss AI Platform, which provides local companies with AI
infrastructure and applications. The operator has reported seeing high demand from the financial
Swisscom
and public sectors, with initial applications such as a chatbot to query internal instructions by bank
employees and a system to automate the transcription of emergency calls.

Telefónica Tech has launched the Telefónica Tech GenAI Platform to help organisations create
Telefónica customisable virtual assistants capable of solving complex queries, automating repetitive tasks and
optimising internal processes through a clear and intuitive interface.

Verizon has unveiled Verizon AI Connect, an integrated suite of solutions and products designed to
Verizon
enable businesses to deploy AI workloads at scale.

Source: GSMA Intelligence based on company announcements

Mobile industry trends 29 / 41

2.4
Global digital transformation survey:
understanding enterprise needs and supplier
opportunities
Between June and August 2024, GSMA Intelligence • Enterprise spending on digital transformation will
surveyed nearly 4,200 enterprises across 21 account for 10% of enterprise revenues during
countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain insight into 2024–2030
their digital transformation. The survey focused on On average, enterprise spending on digital
different aspects of enterprise digital transformation transformation will account for 9.2% of enterprise
such as strategic objectives, investment plans and revenues during 2024–2026, growing to 10.8%
priorities, deployment challenges and supplier during 2027–2030. The average for 2024–2030
decisions. It also asked enterprises for their will be 10%. As expected, mega enterprises (those
views on a range of technologies enabling digital with 10,000 or more employees) will spend more
transformation, including 5G, private networks, AI, on digital transformation than SMEs (20–249
cloud, edge, IoT, eSIM, cybersecurity and network employees). This likely reflects the implementation
APIs. Below, we highlight five key findings from of bigger, and in some cases multi-country, digital
the survey and examine the implications for mobile transformation projects.
operators:8
• Connectivity and AI will be the top two areas of
• Enhancing security is the top digital enterprise spending on digital transformation
transformation priority, while revenue generation
is prioritised over cost savings Connectivity (mobile and fixed) and associated
devices will account for 21% of enterprise spending
Enhancing security and protecting against on digital transformation during 2024–2030, with
cybersecurity threats ranked as the top digital mobile at 13% and fixed/Wi-Fi at 8%. Within mobile,
transformation objective, with virtually all 5G will increasingly replace 4G (with 5G spending
enterprises undertaking digital transformation 2.5× higher than 4G spend). Meanwhile, AI will be
deploying some form of cybersecurity technology. the technology beyond connectivity that captures
This reflects the expanded attack surface facing the biggest share of spending during 2024–2030,
enterprises, as well as the threat posed from new growing from 13% during 2024–2026 to 15%
forms of AI and rapid digitisation. Beyond security, during 2027–2030. This is unsurprising, given the
revenue-related objectives are deemed slightly consensus among enterprises that AI will have a
more important than cost-related objectives, as big impact across several business areas.
highlighted in Figure 18.

Enhancing security
and protecting against
cybersecurity threats
ranked as the top digital
transformation objective

8. The rise of digital industries: navigating enterprise needs, investments and supplier decisions, GSMA Intelligence, 2023

Mobile industry trends 30 / 41

• The financial services sector tops the digital • The US leads in digital transformation, while
transformation ranking of vertical sectors Brazil and Indonesia feature highly among
Analysis of three key aspects of digital developing countries
transformation (objectives, current use of Among the 21 countries surveyed, enterprises in
technologies and spending during 2024–2030) the US are projected to have the highest spending
highlight differences across enterprises sectors. on digital transformation as a percentage of
Sectors where enterprises tend to have more revenue during 2024–2030, followed by South
direct and frequent engagement with consumers Korea and Australia. Additionally, US enterprises
(financial services and media and entertainment) are among the top three for advanced use of
lead on digital transformation as engagement with genAI, cloud and cybersecurity, indicating a
consumers increasingly shifts to digital. Utilities holistic approach to digital transformation.
and energy came third in the rankings followed by Among developing countries, enterprises in
manufacturing and industrial sectors, highlighting Brazil are expected to lead in spending on digital
the need to drive efficiencies and facilitate data- transformation in 2025–2030, followed by South
driven decision-making in capital-intensive Africa and Egypt. Indonesia is ranked fifth, with the
industries. country also being one of the top-three developing
countries for advanced use of genAI, cloud and
cybersecurity.

Figure 18
Extremely important
The top digital transformation objectives for enterprises Quite important
How important are the following objectives to your company’s Neither important nor unimportant
digital transformation initiatives? (Percentage of respondents) Not very important
Not at all important

Enhance security and protect

63% 31%
against cybersecurity threats

Increase revenues 60% 33%

Revenue-related

Enhance customer experience 58% 36%

Strengthen our competitive position

57% 36%
in our markets and/or businesses

Improve the agility of our

57% 37%
business operations
Cost-related

Meet compliance or regulatory

53% 39%
requirements

Reduce costs (e.g. opex and capex)

52% 39%
and become more cost efficient

Support progress of our

50% 40%
sustainability targets

Move into adjacent markets

43% 43%
and/or businesses

Base is all enterprises undertaking digital transformation. Aggregate figures across all countries and vertical sectors surveyed.
Source: GSMA Intelligence Enterprise in Focus: Global Digital Transformation Survey 2024

Mobile industry trends 31 / 41

B2B offers significant growth opportunities for mobile operators
Operator strategies continue to evolve as the mobile To succeed, operators must adopt an enterprise-
industry seeks to capture new growth opportunities centric, solution-oriented approach, behaving more
in the enterprise market. Most operators are like IT consultants than connectivity sellers. They
pursuing dual strategies: leveraging enhanced, high- need to consolidate and simplify their enterprise
speed connectivity (5G, fibre, 5G FWA) to provide portfolios, adapt their sales and marketing
incremental value to enterprise customers while also approach, be prepared to bid as consortia with other
ramping up diversification efforts in non-connectivity competitors and as ‘frenemies’, and acquire new
services. technical and commercial skills.

Riding the digital transformation wave, operators

have seen faster growth on average in the B2B
segment than in B2C.9 With demand expanding
for solutions across a range of technology areas
(cloud, edge, IoT, security), B2B offers continued
growth opportunities as enterprises look for service
providers to integrate a blend of technologies for
their specific environment and needs.

9. The opportunity for operators in B2B technology services, GSMA Intelligence, 2024

Mobile industry trends 32 / 41

2.5
Global consumer survey: shifting consumer
behaviour and rising expectations
The rapid evolution of consumer technology and • Over 40% of smartphone users consider 5G home
shifting user expectations are reshaping digital broadband connectivity highly appealing
experiences, creating new opportunities for Enhanced video streaming and remote digital
operators and ecosystem providers. Between June health services are among the top 5G use cases
and August 2024, GSMA Intelligence conducted for smartphone users. This highlights that, beyond
a consumer survey across 12 major developed connectivity, 5G is unlocking new revenue streams.
countries10 to gain fresh insights into consumer For instance, the growing momentum behind smart
behaviour and technology adoption trends. The home devices offers operators an opportunity to
survey explored eight topics shaping the digital provide connectivity solutions and integrate smart
landscape: 5G, devices, eSIM, genAI, pay TV, devices into multi-play bundles. According to the
gaming, the metaverse and XR, and sustainability.11 consumer survey, 42% of 5G smartphone users
This section focuses on 5G adoption, with five have added or are interested in adding smart home
key findings from the survey and implications for devices to their mobile subscriptions (see Figure
operators listed below: 19). Some operators are targeting the smart home
• Despite a growing share of consumers already directly, such as Deutsche Telekom with Magenta
using 5G, upgrade intentions remain strong SmartHome and Telefónica with its Movistar
Prosegur Alarms.
Across the 12 countries surveyed, 46% of
consumers intend to upgrade to 5G. At the same • 5G users are more engaged with digital
time, consumer satisfaction with 5G is also entertainment content
increasing, with 82% of users stating that 5G has Across paid video, music and gaming platforms,
met or exceeded their expectations. Consumers 40% of 5G users consume digital content on a
in the UAE, China and Italy show the highest intent weekly basis – 16 percentage points higher than
to upgrade according to the survey. However, the same figure for 4G users. There are notable
speed dissatisfaction remains a concern, with country-level differences, with the share of 5G
slow 5G performance topping the list of reasons users consuming digital content on a weekly
for dissatisfaction. This is expected to improve basis being highest in the UAE (62%), China
with the expansion of 5G SA networks and early (53%) and the UK (40%). This trend highlights the
5G-Advanced deployments in 2025 and beyond. strong demand for digital entertainment services,
• Consumers intending to upgrade to 5G are willing reinforcing the importance of bundling content
to pay 5% more on average compared to their offerings with 5G plans.
current 4G subscriptions • Users show demand for bundling, digital services
While price sensitivity is expected to rise as and speed-based tiers
adoption expands beyond early adopters, this 5G users show a greater inclination toward bundled
presents a near-term monetisation opportunity for services and premium digital offerings compared
operators. To maximise this potential, operators to 4G users. Nearly 50% of 5G users have added
need to enhance their 5G value propositions, or are interested in adding non-connectivity
linking connectivity to high-value digital services. services – such as content subscriptions, devices
or cloud gaming – to their mobile plans, compared
to 33% of 4G users. Speed-based and tiered data
plans are also gaining traction, indicating that
consumers are willing to pay for enhanced network
performance. This presents a key opportunity
for operators to design 5G-centric commercial
strategies, leveraging bundles, premium services
and differentiated pricing models.

10. Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Spain, UAE, the UK and the US.
11. The changing shape of the digital consumer in 2025: insights from the Global Consumer Survey, GSMA Intelligence, 2024

Mobile industry trends 33 / 41

 Figure 19
Interest in bundling among 5G users
Percentage of contract mobile subscribers who have added or are interested in adding the following to
their contract subscriptions

Video streaming 60%

Music streaming 54%

Content

Live sports 38%

Gaming 33%

Cloud storage 53%

Services

Digital security 53%

Wearables 49%
Devices

Smart home 42%

Entertainment 37%

Base is smartphone users who are most frequently connected to 5G networks. Aggregate figures across the 12 countries surveyed.
Source: GSMA Intelligence Consumers in Focus: Global Consumer Survey August 2024

Opportunities in service expansion to enhance user experience

While 5G adoption and user satisfaction levels are revenue models centred on consumer experience
rising, large-scale monetisation remains a challenge and link 5G offerings with high-value applications
for the mobile industry. The expansion of 5G SA and (e.g. cloud gaming and metaverse experiences).
early 5G-Advanced networks will address technical As 5G adoption matures, operators will need to
limitations such as speed issues and inconsistent align network capabilities with evolving consumer
coverage. To unlock further revenue growth, expectations, ensuring seamless experiences
operators must expand their service offerings and differentiated service propositions that drive
(such as value-added digital services), explore new engagement and monetisation.

Mobile industry trends 34 / 41

03
Mobile industry
impact
As mobile devices are the primary means for people Goals (SDGs). Among the many sectors driving
to access the internet, the potential of mobile this progress, the mobile industry stands out as
technologies to deliver life-enhancing services a transformative force. Mobile technologies have
cannot be overstated. Mobile internet access is consistently made significant contributions toward
critical for connecting individuals to essential achieving the SDGs, demonstrating their potential
services such as healthcare, education and financial to uplift and transform communities worldwide, as
solutions. At the same time, the mobile industry has outlined in the GSMA 2024 Mobile Industry Impact
been advancing the UN Sustainable Development Report.11

Bridging the connectivity gap

In today’s digital world, while efforts are being made infrastructure, innovative technologies and strategic
to connect everyone, millions in underserved and partnerships, the mobile industry is working towards
rural areas remain disconnected, missing out on ensuring that no one is left behind.
opportunities that could improve their livelihoods.
Connectivity is integral to achieving the SDGs by
Expanding network coverage in these regions
providing access to education, healthcare, justice
presents challenges, particularly in terms of cost and
and inclusion. It can also help reduce poverty, create
infrastructure complexity. However, a promising shift
jobs and promote sustainable development.
is underway as telecoms operators are increasingly
collaborating to bridge this gap. Through shared

Case study: Vodacom and Orange build and operate solar-powered

base stations in rural areas
Challenge: Expanding connectivity in rural Impact: This collaboration is set to significantly
regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo enhance connectivity in rural DRC,
(DRC) presents significant challenges due providing millions with access to essential
to high costs and logistical complexities. telecommunications and mobile financial
The vast and less densely populated areas services. By bridging the digital divide, the
make traditional infrastructure deployment initiative supports the country's National
economically and operationally demanding. Digital Plan Horizon 2025, fostering digital
transformation across various sectors, including
Solution: To address these challenges, Vodacom
e-health, e-education and e-commerce.
and Orange plan to jointly construct up to 2,000
Moreover, the use of solar power aligns with
new solar-powered base stations over the next
environmental sustainability goals, reducing
six years, utilising 2G and 4G technologies. The
the carbon footprint associated with traditional
initial phase includes a commitment to build
energy sources.
1,000 sites, with the potential to scale up by an
additional 1,000 towers. This initiative leverages Such joint ventures exemplify how strategic
renewable energy and promotes infrastructure partnerships between operators can overcome
sharing, allowing other mobile network operators infrastructural challenges, delivering
to utilise the passive infrastructure where widespread connectivity and fostering inclusive
feasible. socioeconomic development in underserved
regions.

12. 2024 Mobile Industry Impact Report: Sustainable Development Goals, GSMA, 2024

Mobile industry impact 36 / 41

Operators supporting communication, recovery and post-disaster aid
The mobile industry not only enhances service affected populations to communicate within and
access but also plays a crucial role during beyond disaster zones.
emergencies. Globally, connectivity has been vital
Additionally, the industry collaborates to support
in managing crises. By leveraging mobile network
post-disaster aid through mobile money services
infrastructure, the industry provides critical
and e-payments, ensuring immediate support for
communication for preparedness and warnings
critical needs such as food, shelter and healthcare.
before disasters. It also facilitates early warning
Examples of recent operator assistance in
systems, coordinates humanitarian response
emergency responses are listed in Table 2.
efforts and supports network restoration during
emergencies. Mobile networks are essential for

Table 2
Examples of operator support during and after disasters

Country Context Operator support

In January 2025, wildfires Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile deployed portable cell towers,
US caused extensive damage to drones and emergency networks to maintain connectivity for
lives and property in California first responders and affected communities.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake Chinese telecoms operators, including China Mobile and
struck Gansu and caused China Telecom, restored communication services, deployed
China
significant casualties and emergency response teams and provided free calls and data to
damage affected residents.

VNPT provided a VND50 billion support package, including

Typhoon Yagi led to flooding and
Vietnam network restoration, emergency communication services and
destruction in multiple provinces
financial aid, to affected communities.

In June 2024, 14 leading telecoms companies, including seven

operators, collaborated to launch Virtual Command Centers
Emergency communication (VCC) for disaster recovery. The VCC platform integrates
Global
solution to cover 18 countries technologies such as AI and digital twins to provide emergency
services with uninterrupted access to critical data, expediting
response times during crises.

Ooredoo and Jawwal Pay allowed aid agencies to transfer

Expanded mobile networks and funds directly to affected families during periods of conflict.
Palestine mobile money services in West These mobile wallets enabled families to buy food and
Bank and Gaza medicine in a region where banking services are often
disrupted.

Source: GSMA Intelligence based on company announcements

Mobile industry impact 37 / 41

04
Mobile industry
enablers
4.1
Meeting connectivity needs through
effective spectrum policies
Continued growth and innovation depend on clarity The accelerating momentum behind 6 GHz has
on spectrum availability in the short and long terms, confirmed it as the harmonised home for the future of
with roadmaps for the 2030s for low-, mid- and mid-band capacity. Following the decision to identify
high-band spectrum. More spectrum is needed for the band for mobile at WRC-23, a growing number of
increased capacity and faster networks. Importantly, countries are taking steps to assign the band. Hong
if progress stalls and is constrained to historical Kong ushered in a new era when it became the first
levels, up to 40% of the economic impact of 5G could market in the world to conduct an auction for the
be lost by 2030. 6 GHz band for mobile services.

Mid-bands provide city-wide coverage and cater Increasing low-band capacity should also be a
for around 80% of indoor capacity in urban areas, priority as countries plan their roadmaps. Low
where mobile is predominantly used indoors. They bands are ideal for covering wide areas with a lower
will also deliver much of the capacity required for population density. This makes them an important
enterprise digitalisation and industrial connectivity. resource as countries look to address coverage and
Consequently, any country that wants to maximise usage gaps with broad and affordable connectivity.
the socioeconomic benefits derived from 5G needs
High-band spectrum, or mmWave, is essential for the
to assign more mid-band spectrum. By 2030, mobile
deployment of 5G networks with ultra-high speeds
networks will need an average of 2 GHz of mid-band
and the lowest possible latencies. Governments and
spectrum per country.
regulators should also plan to make an average of
An ongoing effort to increase the amount of 5 GHz of high-band spectrum available per country
spectrum available in the 3.5 GHz range is needed. by 2030 as demand increases. High bands can
3.5 GHz has already helped roll out a majority of 5G complement low- and mid-band spectrum in dense
networks, and the further harmonisation of the range urban areas, provide fibre-like connectivity through
at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 5G FWA technologies and help innovate enterprise
(WRC-23) allows more countries to take advantage of connectivity.
its economies of scale. However, reaching the 2 GHz
goal is difficult to achieve without adding new bands.

Spectrum licensing, pricing and conditions

Roadmaps are an important means of ensuring Conversely, unnecessary delays to spectrum awards
there is sufficient spectrum for future demand from risk harming mobile broadband service rollouts,
consumers and new technologies. Information on leaving more people unconnected and weakening the
spectrum releases is critical for mobile operators positive enablement effect that mobile can have on
to prepare investment plans, secure financing the reduction of carbon emissions.
and develop arrangements for deploying different
Spectrum roadmaps can help define when spectrum
technologies.
should be made available, but barriers still remain.
The timely release of technology- and service- Setting aside spectrum for specific uses such as
neutral spectrum bands can deliver a positive impact local or bespoke private networks is a frequent – and
on consumers. Long-term value, innovation and cost unnecessary – barrier to meeting demand and should
reductions need to be provided through relatively be avoided in priority 5G bands (particularly 3.5 and
short technology cycles. If spectrum is released 6 GHz). Approaches such as leasing or sharing are
sooner, operators have more time to invest in more typically better options in these situations, while
efficient and sustainable new technologies to make private mobile networks are commonly provided
them available nationwide. More spectrum also eases by mobile operators within licensed public mobile
capacity constraints in urban areas so that operators spectrum.
are better able to invest in rural areas.

Mobile industry enablers 39 / 41

The cost of spectrum also has a major impact, from by market demand. Licensing terms are extended
when it is assigned to ongoing fees and the cost of without additional payments, helping create an
renewals. Governments and regulators should assign investment-friendly environment for the future.
5G spectrum to support their digital connectivity Regulators are also attaching coverage commitments
goals rather than as a means of maximising state in exchange for lower prices when auctioning or
revenues. Effective spectrum pricing policies are renewing spectrum.
vital to support better-quality and more affordable 5G
Conditions should always be used with caution
services. In turn, this will help address issues such as
after careful consideration of any potential risks.
the usage gap. High reserve prices, artificially limited
Consulting with the industry will help maximise the
spectrum supply (including the set-asides mentioned
chance of a successful outcome.
above) and poor auction design can all have a
negative impact due to suppressed investment In summary, to maximise the benefits of 5G,
capabilities (i.e. slower mobile broadband, limited governments and regulators should:
coverage and higher prices for consumers).
• make available sufficient 5G spectrum and avoid
Auctions are the most common mechanism to assign limiting the supply via set-asides
spectrum and have shown, if well designed, to be
successful in delivering better mobile services rather • set modest reserve prices and annual fees to let the
than maximising state revenues. But auctions are market determine spectrum prices
not the only means of assigning spectrum. Other • carefully consider auction design to avoid
methodologies, such as direct assignments and unnecessary risks for bidders (e.g. avoiding
beauty contests, can also be successful for specific mismatched lot sizes, which create artificial
market circumstances. scarcity)
Fortunately, governments and regulators are • develop and publish a 5G spectrum roadmap with
increasingly mindful of the negative impact of high the input of stakeholders to help operators plan
prices and poorly designed assignment mechanisms. effectively around future availability
Instead, they are adopting new pricing and
licensing approaches to ease the financial pressure • consult stakeholders on the award rules and
on operators while encouraging investments in licence terms and conditions, taking them into
connectivity and coverage. These approaches account when setting prices (onerous obligations
include licensing spectrum on a technology-neutral reduce the value of spectrum).
basis. This is a crucial step, as it allows for the
refarming of spectrum for 4G and 5G at a pace driven

6G spectrum and WRC-27

200–400 MHz channels will be required for The World Radiocommunication Conference 2027
mobile evolution going into the 2030s. The mobile (WRC-27) will consider bands in the 4.5, 7–8 and
ecosystem is working with governments and 14 GHz bands. Particular attention is being given to
international bodies to ascertain which bands may be the 7–8 GHz range, as this sits closely above existing
used for the future expansion of mobile. 6 GHz assignments.

mmWave bands will be used for the busiest locations Mobile broadband can deliver economic growth.
– such as stadia, train stations, airports and shopping As wireless connectivity expands from connecting
areas – and low bands will be required to deliver the phones in our pockets to the machines in our
digital equality between urban and rural areas. factories or the vehicles on our roads, this potential
However, a lot of emphasis will be placed on finding requires spectrum to cater for demand.
the right mid-band assignments to deliver city-wide
connectivity. 6 GHz capacity will be brought into play
by many governments to facilitate the next phase of
data growth but, beyond that, other bands are being
considered.

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