A Mobile Economy report by the GSMA has revealed that the global mobile industry will experience 15 percent growth of the 5G network by 2025, attributing the growth to a number of 5G network launches with compatible devices.
The report, which was published at the 2019 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, also reveals that a further 16 major markets worldwide will switch on commercial 5G networks this year, following on from the first 5G launches in South Korea and the US in 2018.
“The arrival of 5G forms a major part of the world’s move towards an era of Intelligent Connectivity, which alongside developments in the Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, is poised to be a key driver of economic growth over the coming years,” said Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA.
Granryd noted that, while 5G will transform businesses and provide an array of exciting new services, mobile technology is also helping to close the connectivity gap, which will spur adoption of mobile-based tools and solutions in areas such as agriculture, education and healthcare, and ultimately, improve livelihoods of people around the world.
It is calculated that mobile operators worldwide are currently investing around $160 billion per year (capex) on expanding and upgrading their networks, despite regulatory and competitive pressures.