#MWC18: New GSMA report finds that the IoT is driving the move to new technologies.
Two-thirds of global mobile connections will be running on 4G and 5G networks by 2025, according to the new edition of the GSMA’s Mobile Economy report, published today at Mobile World Congress (#MWC18) in Barcelona.
The report forecasts that 4G will account for 53 per cent of global mobile connections by 2025, up from 29 per cent in 2017. Meanwhile, 5G networks will grow to account for 14 per cent, following the launch of the first commercial operations this year.
Read more: #MWC18: Airbus and OneWeb onboard to put 5G on planes
The first wave of 5G launches will occur in North America and across Asia and Europe this year, with connections forecast to number 1.2 billion by 2025.
IoT driving 5G connectivity
GSMA Intelligence also predicts that the number of IoT connections (cellular and non-cellular) will grow more than threefold between 2017 and 2025, reaching 25 billion. The report says that IoT development will be driven by an explosion of uses cases for smart homes, cities, buildings, and enterprises.
To date, 23 mobile operators have launched 41 mobile IoT networks worldwide using the NB-IoT and LTE-M standards.
The GSMA says that the mobile ecosystem accounted for 4.5 per cent of global GDP in 2017, equivalent to $3.6 trillion in added economic value. That contribution is forecast to hit $4.6 trillion, or five per cent of GDP, by 2022 as countries around the globe benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by increased take-up of mobile services and M2M/IoT solutions.
“We are at the dawn of a new era in mobile with the imminent launch of the first 5G networks and the Internet of Things poised to further transform the way we live and work,” said Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA.
“As the mobile industry moves into the 5G era, the need for pro-investment, pro-innovation policies and modernised regulatory regimes has never been greater,” he added. “Streamlined regulation and further policy developments in three main areas – spectrum, infrastructure and economics – are key to realising the full potential of 5G for consumers, society, and industry.”
Read more: #MWC18: Huawei unveils the world’s first 5G chip
Internet of Business says
Unsurprisingly, this year’s Mobile World Congress has appeared on the crest of a growing wave of 5G announcements. 2018 will be the year of 5G, raising standards and speeds, and bringing with it a new world of business possibilities.