All research

The recent announcement that the government in Malaysia has granted a second nationwide 5G licence removes what was in effect an infrastructure monopoly and paves the way for a dual-network model. This report highlights how the move to a 5G dual-network model is the right one for customer choice, long-term financial sustainability and Malaysia's competitiveness as a tech and services economy.

Industries worldwide are undergoing significant digital transformation, fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate and interact. At the core of this shift, connectivity is a crucial enabler. While the economic benefits of mobile connectivity are well documented, the broader impact of digital transformation across industries remains less understood. This study offers empirical evidence on how the latest wave of digital technologies is fuelling economic growth.

Mobile connectivity across Asia Pacific has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 10 years, with significant improvements in download/upload speeds and latency. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this study explores how quality-of-service (QoS) regulations are evolving in the region.

We examine the economic case for a potential market-based solution where LTGs face a price signal for the usage of the public network. By focusing on a general principle rather than a specific scheme design, we review the potential of payments as an instrument to improve economic efficiency, which could translate into improved consumer and societal outcomes, such as greater network quality, increased innovation and a general improvement in the pace of digitalisation and the benefits this brings to society. We conclude that under the current regulatory framework, the outcome can be sub-optimal due to insufficient incentives for LTGs to use networks efficiently.

For 5G monetisation, the primary challenge is to drive a higher price premium for tariffs linked to content or speed, with consumers being willing to pay and sustain this level of payment over time. This comes down to people feeling 5G delivers something new or better than what is possible using an existing 4G service. This analysis shows that FWA and speed-linked tariffs are the best means of doing that, with content-linked offers a more market-specific play.

To achieve digital inclusion and transformation targets in the Caribbean islands, it is crucial to understand how 4G and 5G connectivity gaps will evolve in the period to 2030 under prevailing market conditions. For this, we quantify the additional investment required to bridge mobile coverage and usage gaps in the Caribbean islands by 2030.

MWC Shanghai 2024 attracted nearly 40,000 attendees and 6,500 companies. GSMA Intelligence's engagement across the event spanned summits, sessions and meetings with companies. A key theme across these was the urgency around monetising 5G infrastructure and how that can be done, rather than talking about technology alone.

Setting aside dedicated spectrum for enterprises has been seen as a way of incentivising private network adoption and digitalisation. This research is the first of its kind to apply robust statistical analysis to the impact of spectrum set-asides. The results highlight the need to consider the unintended and undesired consequences of spectrum set-asides, particularly as there is no evidence of a clear benefit.

Indonesia is among the largest and fastest-growing digital economies in Asia-Pacific. While the government's digital roadmap for 2021-2024 recognises ICT infrastructure as a key enabler of digital transformation, realising this vision will only be possible if the country's operators have access to the right amount and type of affordable spectrum.

Assigning radio spectrum to those who can make the most efficient use of it is crucial to maximise the socioeconomic benefits derived from digital services and infrastructure. In Latin America, mobile connectivity remains the foremost form of internet connectivity, particularly because for many it is the only form of connectivity. However, to provide mobile internet services, operators need access to spectrum licences.

This study is the first to establish a causal link between the adoption of digital financial services and long-term economic growth. It shows that mobile money had a positive and significant impact on GDP growth between 2013 and 2022.

In this joint study with Economist Impact and Huawei, we look at the role of infrastructure today and analyse the key challenges and opportunities ahead. Key strategic issues include disentangling which digital technologies are going to be most in demand; the network transformations required by telecoms providers; and the extent to which operators can capitalise on the new wave of growth and business opportunities that are appearing in the market.

MWC Shanghai returned as an in-person event this year. The key takeaways from the show span 5G, open network APIs, devices, spectrum and digital transformation, while the implications stretch across the telecoms ecosystem both in China and around the world.

By 2030, 5G will account for nearly 60% of total mobile connections in Latin America. However, unleashing the full potential of 5G requires policy measures to support network investment and improve the affordability of digital services for consumers. This report examines 5G in the context of Latin America's connectivity landscape and the policies required to accelerate 5G development.

Efficient use of spectrum can lead to a reduction in carbon emissions while simultaneously generating economic benefits to society. This latest report examines the impact of four spectrum policy aspects that can vary between countries.

Between 2014 and 2021, the number of people in Latin America with mobile internet access nearly doubled. Despite this spectacular growth, 230 million people remain without access to mobile internet. This report examines the limitations of the current design of universal service funds (USFs) and proposes reforms and alternative options to expand 4G connectivity levels by 2030.

The quarter of Brazil's population not using mobile internet services despite living within coverage of mobile broadband represents a key challenge. This research identifies the primary barriers to mobile internet use in the country.

Over the past two years, GSMA Intelligence has investigated the value of mmWave spectrum in great depth, with a focus on cost savings from a network efficiency perspective. However, there could also be a revenue opportunity for operators if consumers are willing to pay more for new or improved services. This was the main reason for developing a series of three reports investigating how consumers view the value of mmWave to improve 5G services. This final report quantifies the extent to which consumers are willing to pay to obtain the experiences they really want from mmWave 5G.

Despite its ambitions, Europe has lagged behind its economic peers when it comes to the adoption and deployment of 5G. An important question is whether market conditions, such as competition dynamics, sufficiently incentivise the investments needed to achieve Europe's 5G targets and offer advanced 5G services. In this report, we assess how competition dynamics in Europe impacted investment and mobile network performance during 2011-2021.

This report provides the highlights from the 5G FWA opportunity report series. It offers a fixed broadband and 5G FWA outlook examining the momentum behind the technology and forecast growth in connections. The analysis then summarises the 5G FWA opportunities for both mobile network operators and ISPs under different deployment scenarios.

GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. In this edition, we provide a snapshot of our recent 5G FWA series showing under what conditions 5G FWA can be cost-effective versus FTTH.

This is the fifth in a series of reports examining the conditions under which 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) can be a cost-effective means to deliver broadband services, compared to alternative wireline technologies and according to different deployment strategies. In this report, we focus on the opportunity for network operators and ISPs in Southeast Asia to provide 5G FWA services.

Spectrum policymakers around the world face an important decision in the coming years as they look to decide the optimal approach for managing spectrum in the 6 GHz frequency band. This updated GSMA Intelligence study carries out a cost-benefit analysis of different licensed and unlicensed assignment options for the 6 GHz band in 24 countries.

This quarterly review of global 5G developments provides a concise, tracker-style deliverable, presenting key metrics and forecasts in an easy-to-access and engaging way. GSMA Intelligence has aggregated the latest data on 5G connections, adoption and coverage, as well as information on network trials/launches and spectrum assignments. In this edition, we also take a look at what consumers are willing to pay for 5G and examine the growth and monetisation of consumer 5G so far.

This is the fourth in a series of research reports examining the conditions under which 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) can be a cost-effective means to deliver broadband services (with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps), compared to alternative wireline technologies and according to different deployment strategies

To gain a better understanding of the policies and interventions needed to accelerate connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa, this study maps mobile coverage and adoption in seven African countries at the highest possible resolution and simulates the effects of different policies on both the location of infrastructure and demand for mobile and internet services.

In this snapshot, GSMA Intelligence examines the key announcements and innovations in spectrum at MWC22, and what they mean for the industry. For the full analysis of topics covered at MWC22, see "MWC22 Barcelona: insights beyond the headlines".