Mobile phone growth to increase 400% in next 3 years across Asia Pacific

Over the next three years, the expansion of 5G connectivity in the Asia Pacific region is expected to increase by 400%. GSM Association, a conglomerate of telecom operators worldwide, says the ‘metaverse’ and greater uptake in the latest generation of smartphones is fuelling the growth.

The GSM Association is an industry organisation that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide. More than 750 mobile operators are full GSMA members and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem are associate members – Wikipedia

Their latest report says that 96% of the region’s population is covered by mobile broadband networks, but that only 44% of the same population are covered by mobile 4G and 5G services. That figure is expected to climb to 52% by 2025.

The “Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2022” report says that whilst the technology is there, the creators, mobile phone makers, and local telcos aren’t working together enough to take advantage of the opportunities presented by 5G speed.

“Mobile technologies and services generated 5% of the region’s GDP in 2021, which equates to US$770 billion of economic value.”

The industry also now supports nearly 9 million jobs across the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in the area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Oceania, the Russian Far East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The GSMA highlighted that 5G services are commercially available in 14 markets, with India and Vietnam expected to go live in the coming months. It also noted that 5G has significant room to grow in the region, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.

The report also predicts that 5G connections number more than 400 million over the next 3 years, around 14% of the region’s total mobile connections.

“Progress is more advanced in countries such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea.”

Last November in Thailand, True Corporation (aka. True) and Total Access Communication (aka. DTAC), the second and third largest mobile operators in Thailand, announced a plan to consolidate and establish a new company that would be able to accelerate technology advancement and scale.

If it goes ahead, the newly combined business will take on Thailand’s largest telco, AIS.

Meanwhile, last week’s announcement by AIS on its proposal to acquire broadband provider Triple T Broadband is expected to complicate Thailand’s communications regulator’s decision on the fate of the merger between True Corporation and DTAC.

“For operators, building innovative partnerships is crucial in a period when the telecoms industry is looking to leverage next-generation technologies to drive new consumer and enterprise opportunities.”

SOURCE: Mobile World Live