
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...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
21/05/2026
Game Creek Video Columbia and Celtic, NEP Supershooter 8 will house onsite produ...
21/05/2026
Freshly graduated, this upstart producer, director, and camera operator is already working as an AP on videoboard shows for the Philadelphia Phillies
In the li...
21/05/2026
Media Links has announced a channel partnership with Clearcast Asia, a broadcast...
21/05/2026
SiriusXM and NASCAR have announced a multi-year renewal of their broadcasting agreement. SiriusXM will continue to carry live broadcasts of every NASCAR Cup Ser...
21/05/2026
Audio-Technica held a demonstration event at its Technica House location in New ...
21/05/2026
Ateme has announced that RTL Deutschland has selected Ateme's software-based...
21/05/2026
LiveU has announced that BCC Live deployed the LU900Q intelligent production unit for the first time during the 2026 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North Americ...
21/05/2026
ATSC has announced that Mark Aitken, President of ONE Media and Senior VP of Advanced Technology at Sinclair Broadcast Group, will receive the 2026 Mark Richer ...
21/05/2026
BBright has published a technical analysis of the Media eXchange Layer (MXL), de...
21/05/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) will be hosted in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23. The event marks the f...
21/05/2026
Chyron has announced PRIME Scorebug, a scorebug solution built on the PRIME Platform for on-premises sports production, and has expanded Chyron LIVE with purpos...
21/05/2026
Media Links has announced the integration of its Xscend IP transport platform with Skyline Communications' DataMiner xOps platform. The integration will be ...
21/05/2026
As live sports productions continue to demand more flexible, scalable, and cost-...
21/05/2026
In advance of this year's Sports Emmy Awards, SVG is taking a deep dive into...
21/05/2026
Hey Miami & Atlanta post-production folks!
Shade is hosting a free private suite at a Braves game (6/2) and Marlins game (6/5) and have about a dozen extra tic...
21/05/2026
The Suns and Mercury become the first NBA and WNBA teams to make games available under a single broadcast partner across both over-the-air and streaming....
21/05/2026
iPhones are part of the the regular production rotation for Friday Night Baseba...
21/05/2026
In advance of this year's Sports Emmy Awards, SVG is taking a deep dive into...
21/05/2026
Heather Matarazzo as Dawn Wiener in Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse...
21/05/2026
Spotify has always been about helping you find something you want to listen to. And over the years, we've learned your taste and the moments that matter to ...
21/05/2026
Getting concert tickets today can feel like a race you're set up to lose.
You show up at the right time, refresh endlessly, and still miss out. Too often, ...
21/05/2026
In 2022, Spotify entered a new chapter by introducing audiobooks to our platform. Since then, we've grown our catalog to include more than 700,000 titles, e...
21/05/2026
Opening remarks
ALEX
Good morning everyone, I'm Alex [Norstr m].
GUSTAV
And I'm Gustav [S derstr m].
ALEX
Whether you've been following our j...
21/05/2026
Today, Spotify hosted our third Investor Day in New York City, offering the fina...
21/05/2026
Spotify hat heute seinen dritten Investor Day in New York City veranstaltet und der Finanzwelt tiefere Einblicke in das Gesch ft, die Produktstrategie und die l...
21/05/2026
Aujourd'hui, Spotify a organis son troisi me Investor Day New York. En pl...
21/05/2026
Oggi, a New York City, Spotify ha presentato il suo terzo Investor Day, offrendo...
21/05/2026
Hoy Spotify celebr su tercer Investor Day en Nueva York, donde ofrecimos a la c...
21/05/2026
Hari ini, Spotify menyelenggarakan Investor Day yang ketiga di New York City, me...
21/05/2026
2026 : (Investor Day) , , . ...
21/05/2026
Hoje, o Spotify realizou seu terceiro Investor Day em Nova York, oferecendo co...
21/05/2026
Spotify Investor Day ...
21/05/2026
Spotify bug n, 20'nci y l d n m m z kutlad m z bu y lda, finans camias na, i modelimiz, r n stratejimiz ve uzun vadeli vizyonumuz hakk nda daha detayl ...
21/05/2026
Two new Story Packs join orchestral instrument line-up
Sonuscore have just introduced two new additions to The Score, marking the instrument's first maj...
21/05/2026
30,000 samples, 99 presets & 504 loops
Heavyocity are well known for their hard-hitting cinematic instruments, and their latest release is no exception to t...
21/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz AI powered voice to data: The future of air traffic control take...
21/05/2026
SKY RAIDER II INTERNATIONAL's modular open systems architecture delivers expanded operational reach and mission flexibility....
21/05/2026
ASO-enabled WESCAM MX-10 systems conduct systematic wide-area maritime search patterns, autonomously managing sensor scan operations to expand coverage, reduce ...
21/05/2026
HBO Max, a new addition to Gracenote Data Hub, is home to the most sports programming among major streamers
NEW YORK May 21, 2026 New analysis by Gracenote...
21/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/05/2026
The UK's leading event for the creative industries united thousands of professionals for two days of networking, debate, industry insight and getting hands-...
21/05/2026
Recreating Doug Trumbull's Slitscan VFX - After Effects Mastery
Graham Quince May 21, 2026
0 Comments
In this After Effects tutorial, I'm divi...
21/05/2026
Cavalry: An Array of Fun Stuff
Simon Ubsdell May 21, 2026
0 Comments
Arrays are a really powerful feature of Cavalry and here we'll go over some o...
21/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...