5 billion people are now connected to mobile networks worldwide —GSMA

GROUPE Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) has published its second annual ‘Global Mobile Trends’ report, which provides exclusive data and analysis on the key trends shaping the future of the mobile ecosystem.

According to the report, five billion people are now connected to mobile networks, representing two-thirds of the world’s population. However, the report states that growth is slowing; that it took four years to move from four billion to five billion subscribers and connecting the next billion will take longer still. Meanwhile, smartphone and mobile broadband growth is driving mobile internet usage and engagement and new form factors are emerging beyond the smartphone, the report stated.

Published at Mobile World Congress Americas held in San Francisco, United States recently, the 2017 edition of this flagship report series compiles data on mobile subscriber growth trends across both developed and emerging markets, plus insight on device innovation beyond the smartphone; the evolution from 4G to 5G networks; industry financial performance and growth outlook; competition and convergence; and statistics for every region worldwide.

“Our latest Global Mobile Trends report provides a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges facing the mobile industry as we move into a new era of ubiquitous connectivity,” said Mr Laxmi Akkaraju, Chief Strategy Officer at the GSMA.

“Built on best-in-class GSMA Intelligence data and produced by our in-house team of industry analysts, today’s report maps out how future networks and operator business models are evolving within a rapidly shifting industry landscape,” he added.

It added that industry excitement around 5G overlooked the fact that 4G still has plenty of headroom for future growth. 4G, according to the report, is forecast to account for two-thirds of global mobile connections by 2025 (up from around a quarter today), driven by increasing 4G adoption over this period in major emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Indonesia.