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...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
07/05/2026
Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS' next-generation media vision
Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Br...
07/05/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering v...
07/05/2026
Lightware Visual Engineering has developed Rack Taurus for rack-based environments such as education and corporate training spaces. It enables clean and simple ...
07/05/2026
Jigsaw24, the UK's leading media equipment supplier and systems integrator, will showcase its expanded end-to-end workflow capabilities at MPTS 2026, signal...
07/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, today announced that it has been granted a US Patent for its proprietary graphical overlay technology, the foundation for interact...
07/05/2026
Test & measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe will present an extensive range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement solutions at...
Asia Pacific to see tenfold rise in 5G mobile connections by 2030 as digital transformation gathers pace, GSMA report reveals
