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.

More people than ever before are now accessing the internet through mobile devices. However, the growth rate at which people are adopting mobile internet has remained flat, and significant digital divides persist. Closing these digital divides brings significant socioeconomic benefits and is more crucial than ever.

While the transformative socioeconomic impacts of digital technologies are well established, a digital divide persists in Africa, where around two thirds of the population do not currently use mobile internet. Against this backdrop, the GSMA has launched the Digital Africa Index - an interactive web tool to support policymakers and regulators.

Building on the foundation of the Digital Societies series, this report marks the inaugural edition of the Digital Nations series. It explores the aspiration of governments in Asia Pacific to leverage digital technologies as a means to achieve sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth, based on the development of five key components of a digital nation: infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people.

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.

Connectivity is a fundamental requirement in crisis settings, but the needs of crisis-affected communities are often poorly understood, under-appreciated and under-supported. This report explores the connectivity challenges faced by crisis-affected communities and the efforts to bridge the mobile coverage gap in humanitarian settings.

Across Asia Pacific, stakeholders have introduced various measures to improve online safety and build trust. Importantly, the task of maintaining and enhancing trust must be viewed as a shared responsibility between stakeholders, as opposed to the sole responsibility of any single stakeholder. Given the need for open dialogue and cooperation between all parties in the digital ecosystem, this white paper highlights the steps to support existing measures and inspire new ones.

This report assesses the impact of mobile money interoperability by considering the economic literature on interoperability more generally and utilising a case study approach in five mobile money countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania. In each market, we assess how mobile money adoption and usage evolved after different interoperability solutions took effect.

The government of Indonesia is keen to build a digital nation, in which digital technologies help to improve the livelihoods of citizens and drive productivity across the economy. This has been highlighted in several digitalisation plans announced in recent years. This report highlights key policies and actions required to realise the Indonesian government's vision.

To understand the performance of universal service funds (USFs) in Africa, the GSMA conducted an extensive study. This included a survey of stakeholders, including USF authorities, government ministries and service providers. The results highlight structural and operational challenges requiring urgent attention from policymakers and USF authorities.

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.

The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2023 provides the mobile industry and other stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity, as well as insights on key barriers to mobile internet adoption and use.

Underpinning the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a shared promise by every country to work together to secure the rights and wellbeing of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet. However, at the halfway point on the way to 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in deep trouble. This report demonstrates the mobile industry's continued commitment to the goals, and identifies areas where the industry needs to improve or accelerate its actions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

This latest report in the Digital Societies series examines the five key components of a digital nation (infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people) and maps the aspirations of governments in the region to these components. The report considers the role of emerging technologies, such as AI, blockchain, drones and quantum computing, in building digital nations.

In 2020, Ethiopia allowed non-banks to provide mobile money services - a key step in advancing financial inclusion and driving growth. This study looks at the rapidly evolving mobile money ecosystem, and opportunities to boost adoption and usage.

Countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are undergoing a digital revolution, driven by ambitious government digital transformation initiatives and a general trend towards greater digitalisation, spurred by the pandemic. This report examines eight focus countries in the region and their efforts to close the digital divide.

Without sufficient low-band spectrum, the digital divide is likely to widen, and those living in rural areas will be excluded from the latest digital technologies. This report shows, for the first time, the specific economic impact of 5G using low-band spectrum. The report also provides distribution of 5G low-band benefits by use case and by region, and uncovers the industries that will benefit the most.

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.

The journey to 5G has started in Africa and is gathering pace across the region. 5G network ecosystem players in the region must find ways to deliver cost-effective and efficient 5G networks with an implementation strategy that balances investment and value creation.

The Mobile Money Regulatory Index has proven to be useful in stimulating debate on the reforms that may be undertaken in more restrictive mobile money markets and, ultimately, help support the efforts of the mobile industry, governments and wider international development community to accelerate the deployment of mobile money, especially among populations that are financially underserved.

While 5G has now been launched across the EU, European markets are not showing the same levels of adoption reported in North America and East Asia, where operators have moved beyond non-standalone 5G and are rolling out standalone networks. This infographic highlights the differences between the regions in terms of 5G adoption levels, and contrasts the levels of operator capex for 2021.

The mobile industry plays a crucial role in driving digital transformation and is well placed to support the realisation of Digital Pakistan. To continue on this path, mobile industry players must be able to roll out the required digital infrastructure and innovative services to bridge the digital divide and accelerate the adoption of digital solutions.

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 look at how using total population as a metric can understate the true level of connectivity, and highlight how this year's State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2022 report presents penetration based on adults aged 18+ only.

The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2022 report provides the mobile industry and other stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity, as well as insights on key barriers to mobile internet adoption and use. It includes, for the first time, insight on mobile internet connectivity among adults and by income group, as well as an assessment of the situation in the least developed countries.