Asia Pacific to see tenfold rise in 5G mobile connections by 2030 as digital transformation gathers pace, GSMA report reveals
However, despite 96% mobile broadband coverage across the region, barriers in certain countries mean APAC still has one of the largest usage gaps in the world
24 July 2023, Singapore: 5G will account for over two-fifths (41%) of mobile connections in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region by 2030, up from 4% in 2022, according to the GSMA's Mobile Economy APAC 2023 Report, published today
By the end of 2030 APAC will have around 1.4 billion 5G connections, with growth driven by a fall in the average price of 5G devices, rapid network expansion in many countries, and concerted efforts by leading governments to integrate mobile-enabled technologies into many aspects of society.
However, the annual mobile economy report also reveals that while mature markets, such as Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea are at the forefront of 5G mobile innovation, barriers continue to impact overall mobile access and usage in a number of other APAC countries. Despite significant improvements, the research shows that almost half of the population in Asia Pacific (47%) still lack access to mobile internet and with the region lagging behind other parts of the world, including Latin America, China and Eurasia. Poor digital skills, particularly among older populations, device and service affordability, and online safety concerns are some of the reasons holding back uptake.
The Mobile Economy APAC 2023 Report, published today during an event hosted by the GSMA and Singtel, in Singapore, highlights the key trends and forecasts shaping the mobile ecosystems of eight countries[1] in the region. Key findings include:
Mobile subscribers will rise by 400mn between 2022 and 2030 to reach 2.11bn; mobile penetration will also rise to 70% but still trail the global average of 73%.
Smartphone adoption will rise to 94% by 2030, an increase of 18% from 2022, driven by factors such as more affordable devices and improved digital literacy.
Almost half of the population in Asia Pacific (49%) is now connected to the mobile internet, but 47% of the population who could access mobile services remain disconnected.
The mobile sector added $810bn of economic value to the APAC economy in 2022 (just under 5% of APACs Gross Domestic Product) and will reach almost $1tn ($990bn) by the end of the decade.
5G will add more than $133bn to the APAC economy in 2030.
The services (42%) and manufacturing (34%) industries will be the primary beneficiaries of 5G by 2030, driven by applications in smart cities, smart factories and the smart grid.
5G: the growing monetisation imperative
The report finds that as 5G adoption grows, the monetisation imperative will escalate, along with the need to attract new customers and incentivise existing ones towards higher spend. Extended Reality (XR) could be one key driver for adoption with augmented and virtual reality having the potential to usher in a new age of immersive consumer experiences, benefitting from 5G's advanced capabilities around speed, latency and capacity. 5G fixed wireless access services provide further incremental revenue opportunities, particularly in areas with low fixed broadband penetration.
Mobile is fuelling fintech
The report also shows that Asia Pacific has one of the fastest growing fintech industries, from massive mature markets such as India to emerging ones, such as Vietnam and Indonesia. The continued growth in the fintech sector, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic, has improved the level of financial inclusion in the region, resulting in an increase in mobile money accounts.
Circularity gathers momentum
Growing concerns around the generation of e-waste and unsustainable levels of consumption of natural resources is making circularity a far bigger area of focus for policymakers and mobile industry players in the region. While the technical lifespan of a mobile device is now between four and seven years, the average use period of mobile devices is only around three years. The report highlights how governments and industry players have a key role to play in incentivising consumers and building out new channels to collect, refurbish and resell devices.
Policies for growth and innovation
To realise these ambitions and maximise the potential for growth and innovation in the region, policymakers can take action to rebalance the digital ecosystem and create fairer business conditions for mobile operators. Such moves can include lean and well-structured tax regimes, flexible licensing regimes and regulatory frameworks as well as policies to close the digital divide and safeguard online spaces.
Spectrum availability and effective licensing continue to be critical to enable the investment required to expand mobile access, meet the increase in demand for data services and enhance the quality and range of services offered. The upcoming ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 will provide the chance for policymakers to secure crucial spectrum resources for 5G expansion and build a long-term spectrum roadmap toward 2030 and beyond.
Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at the GSMA, said: As the mobile market spanning the world's largest geographical area, APAC's connectivity ecosystem is highly nuanced and consists of both pioneering mobile innovators and emerging markets.
The region has some of the fastest growing 5G markets in the world today, notably India, which is set to add tens of millions of 5G connections in 2023. However, across APAC as a whole we're also seeing some of the world's largest disparities in mobile internet usage, he added. If we are to fully realise the digitally transformation mobile connectivity can bring, we need to establish a flexible, forward-looking regulatory and policy regime to sup
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
Tennis Channel has completed a transition from satellite-based distribution to a...
02/06/2026
Daktronics has announced the 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day educational event for high school educators and student production teams, taking place Jun...
02/06/2026
Fandango will bring Telemundo's live Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA W...
02/06/2026
All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) has announced the live television schedule...
02/06/2026
Spalk, a cloud-based multilingual commentary and production platform, has announced three new partnerships: Ligue 1 (English and Portuguese highlights), Eurolea...
02/06/2026
NHL Network's 2026 Stanley Cup Final coverage began June 1 with NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Media Day from the Carolina Hurricanes' Lenovo Center at ...
02/06/2026
Matrox Video has announced the Maevex MGX Series, a lineup of IPMX-ready video e...
02/06/2026
Marshall Electronics will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7521), showcasing a lineup of 4K and HD compact POV cameras for corporate, education, hospitality, wo...
02/06/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated have...
02/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C50...
02/06/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has announced the promotion of Joe Marchitto to Western Regional CTO. In his new role, Marchitto will oversee system design across ...
02/06/2026
The NHL has announced that Brothers Osborne will headline a free outdoor concert...
02/06/2026
CP Communications has announced the appointment of its first two female executives in the company's 40-year history. Tabitha Coleman has been named Vice Pre...
02/06/2026
The Lighting Design Group (LDG) has announced the completion of Studio C at Yahoo's headquarters at 770 Broadway in Manhattan. The studio launched April 24 ...
02/06/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with FIFA to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030, FIFA Women's World Cup 2...
02/06/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
02/06/2026
The department is broadcasting NCAA Baseball Super Regionals at Plainsman Park this weekend
Broadcast and production crews at Division I institutions are busy ...
02/06/2026
The initiative is extends beyond the league's arenas to team training rinks,...
02/06/2026
Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Pen lope Cruz, and Edward Norton appear in The Invite by Olivia Wilde, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Co...
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
blueCORE standalone processors headline solutions designed to simplify the trans...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
The TV agency was one of the earliest adopters of Nielsen's local television...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Grass Valley today announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP to transform its newsroom produc...
02/06/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, announces its new Model 385 Mic/Intercom Beltpack. The Mode...
02/06/2026
The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 2...
02/06/2026
More signals, higher quality, and outstanding ingest and streaming flexibility deliver professional results in a small, all-in-one footprint...
02/06/2026
farmerswife will be featured on the Modena Media & Entertainment stand at this year's Mediatech Africa 2026, giving visitors an opportunity to explore the l...
02/06/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17 19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Back to All News
Discover Your Next Book-to-Screen Obsession With Our New Dedicated Hub
Product
02 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Dear most vor...
02/06/2026
New LinkedIn Data: 90% of C-Suite Leaders are Continuously Building Skills to Lead in the AI Era Published on Jun 2, 2026 Categories: Data and insights
Lin...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
Asia Pacific to see tenfold rise in 5G mobile connections by 2030 as digital transformation gathers pace, GSMA report reveals
