| 5G Connectivity to Increase to 1.4 Billion Lines by 2025
IoT Connections to Triple to 25 Billion Lines by 2025
| 5G contributes to boom in manufacturing, public utilities, and financial industries

According to a new report released by the Global Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), 5G, which is enjoying steady growth due to the successive launch of 5G networks and devices, is expected to account for 15% of global mobile access by around 2025.

GSMA announced the 2019 global edition of the Mobile Economy series at MWC19.
According to the report, following South Korea and the United States, which launched their first 5G networks in 2018, 16 major markets around the world are expected to transition to commercial 5G networks this year.

It is estimated that mobile operators worldwide are currently spending $160 billion annually on capital expenditures (CAPEX) for network expansion and upgrades, despite various regulations and competitive pressures.

Mats Granryd, Director General of GSMA, said, “5G is a key pillar of the global movement toward the era of Intelligent Connectivity, IoT, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence, and will drive future economic growth.”

He continued, “While 5G innovates businesses and introduces exciting new services, mobile technology will help bridge the connectivity gap,” and predicted that “the number of new mobile internet users will increase by more than 1 billion within the next two or three years as mobile-based devices and solutions expand into fields that improve human lives worldwide, such as agriculture, education, and healthcare.”

The following are notable points from the new GSMA report.
First, by around 2025, 5G connections will increase to 1.4 billion lines, accounting for 15% of global mobile connections. Specifically, it is estimated that China and Europe will reach 30%, while the United States will approach 50%.

4G will enjoy solid growth during the same period. The global mobile access share, which was 43% in 2018, is estimated to reach 60% in 2025.
By around 2025, global IoT connections are expected to triple to 25 billion lines, and global IoT revenue is projected to quadruple to $1.1 trillion.

Over the four years starting from 2013, the number of mobile subscribers increased by 1 billion. As of the end of 2018, the total number of mobile subscribers was 5.1 billion. This figure accounts for 67% of the world's population.
Over the next seven years, the number of new subscribers will exceed 700 million. Of these, 25% are expected to be Indian subscribers.

In addition, the number of people starting to use mobile internet is expected to reach 1.4 billion over the next seven years. By around 2025, the total number of mobile internet subscribers worldwide is projected to reach 5 billion. This figure exceeds 60% of the world's population.
According to a GSMA report, mobile technology and services generated 4.6% of global GDP in 2018. This amounts to creating an economic value of $3.9 trillion.

This figure is projected to increase to $4.8 trillion by around 2023, driven by improved efficiency and productivity resulting from the expansion of mobile service penetration. This amounts to 4.8% of global GDP.

In 2018, the mobile ecosystem directly and indirectly supported 32 million jobs and contributed significantly to public sector funding, with general tax revenue exceeding $500 billion.

Over the next 15 years, 5G's contribution to the global economy is expected to reach $2.2 trillion.

Key sectors to which 5G will contribute include manufacturing, public facilities, and financial services, and the benefits from the introduction of new technologies are expected to be significant.

Mobile Economy 2019 was published by GSMA Intelligence, a subsidiary of GSMA.

Information on the full report or related infographics can be found on the website (www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/).