Mobile technology worldwide generated in 2024 an economic value of 6.2 billion eurosexceeding 5,247 million euros of 2023, which is equivalent to 5.8% of world GDP. This is shown by the GSMA estimates, a world employer of telecommunications companies, in its report “The mobile economy 2025” presented during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) this year.
5.8% of last year’s world GDP represents an increase of four tenths compared to 2023 (5.4%), and the GSMA calculates that This percentage will shoot up to 8.4% in 2030, with an equalization of 10.5 billion euros. The authors of the report foresee that in decade, the sectors that will promote mobile technology will be the manufacturing industry (25%), accommodation and restoration services (17%) and public administration (14%).
Likewise, the employer’s report also collects that The mobile sector generated 40 million jobs worldwide in 2024 –24 million direct and 16 million indirect jobs. This industry also had a fiscal contribution to the planet’s economy of 570,000 million euros, with 208,000 million in VAT on services – special sales and taxes – and 170,000 million in labor and social security charges.
At the end of last year, 4.7 billion people worldwide used mobile internet, that is, 58% of the world’s population. This figure could grow up to 5.5 billion users (64%) in 2030.
5G fast
5G technology is already present in more than 120 countries worldwide. 5G connections worldwide exceeded 2,000 million at the end of 2024 and, by 2030 they will represent more than half (57%) of the total mobile connections, exceeding those of 4G in 2028.
The GSMA predicts that 5G SA (fast -speed) will be responsible for 70% of business income up to 2030which represents an opportunity of 121,000 million euros. This potential could be accelerated by opening new 5G capabilities through the Open Gateway initiative of the GSMA, which uses open network APIS. Currently, 72 groups of operators “representing about 80% of global mobile connections” already participate in this initiative.