MWC19 The GSMA has looked ahead and identified a major trend shaping the future of mobile: 5G adoption is accelerating.
According to the GSMA’s 2019 Global Mobile Economy report, 5G is expected to represent roughly 15% of global mobile connections by 2025. That forecast is driven by continued network launches throughout the year and expanding device compatibility that will make 5G accessible to more consumers and businesses.
The report also predicts rapid growth across related areas. Global Internet of Things (IoT) connections are forecast to triple to 25 billion by 2025, while IoT-generated revenue is expected to quadruple and surpass $1 trillion over the same period. Meanwhile, 4G networks will continue to expand and remain an important part of the mobile ecosystem.
Investment in network infrastructure remains substantial despite regulatory and market challenges. The GSMA estimates that operators are investing around $160 billion annually in capital expenditures to expand and upgrade their networks. That level of investment underscores the industry’s ongoing commitment to improving coverage, capacity and performance.
Regionally, India stands out as a major source of future subscriber growth. The report estimates that roughly a quarter of the more than 700 million new mobile subscribers anticipated over the next seven years will come from India alone. In addition, approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide are expected to start using mobile internet within that timeframe, further expanding the global connected population.
Looking further ahead, the GSMA projects that 5G will contribute about $2.2 trillion to the global economy over the next 15 years. Those economic and connectivity projections highlight both the scale of the opportunity and the expectations confronting the industry as technologies evolve and networks are modernized.
“The arrival of 5G forms a major part of the world’s move towards an era of intelligent connectivity,” said Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA. “Together with developments in the Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, 5G is poised to be a key driver of economic growth in the coming years. While 5G will transform businesses and enable exciting new services, mobile technology is also helping to close the connectivity gap.”
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