Month: November 2020

What 5G means for Africa

In the November issue of African Business “Going viral inside Africa’s telecoms revolution” Kenechi Okeleke, Director of Social and Regional research at GSMA Intelligence, outlines the impact of 5G on the African continent.

The 5G era in Africa formally began in 2020, following the temporary assignment of spectrum by the South African government, triggering the launch of commercial 5G mobile and fixed wireless access (FWA) services by two of the continent’s biggest mobile service providers; Vodacom and MTN.

Despite high expectations for the benefits that 5G will bring to the continent, key challenges remain to be tackled to unlock the power of 5G connectivity, such as allocating more spectrum at affordable prices.

Access GSMA Intelligence’s Opinion Piece on Page 18.

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To find out more on the impact of effective spectrum policies in Africa, get our latest report:
Effective Spectrum Pricing in Africa

Intelligence Brief: How can more effective spectrum policies help connect Africa?

The international community has set several ambitious targets when it comes to internet connectivity. The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development aims to reach 75 per cent broadband internet user penetration by 2025 (or 65 per cent in developing countries), while the World Bank’s Digital Economy for Africa initiative seeks to ensure that every individual, business and government in Africa will be digitally enabled by 2030.

While such targets are welcome, achieving them remains a significant challenge, particularly in Africa where almost 75 per cent of the population, or 950 million people, do not access internet services. By 2025, almost 60 per cent of the population are still expected to remain offline.

To close this digital gap, it will be necessary to address a number of barriers to adoption, as well as the coverage gap, those living outside of areas covered by mobile broadband networks. Of the 600 million people which do not have broadband coverage, half live in Africa and one of the key barriers to expanding coverage is spectrum policy. The scale of the challenge is highlighted in a new study by GSMA Intelligence, Effective Spectrum Pricing in Africa [1]. This report, which is unprecedented in scope and depth, tracks spectrum assignments across nearly 50 African countries during the 2010 to 2019 period. The key findings are:

Governments in Africa have assigned approximately half the amount of mobile spectrum compared with the global average. This gap in spectrum assignments has emerged and expanded over the last decade, making it difficult for many African operators to offer fast mobile broadband speeds. African governments have also, on average, licensed 3G and 4G spectrum around three years later than other regions.
Countries in western and northern Africa account for a large proportion of the highest spectrum prices globally. Adjusting spectrum prices by income, Africa accounts for about half of all the extremely high spectrum prices worldwide, with most of these concentrated in western and northern Africa. Spectrum prices in the continent are twice as high as the global average and four times higher than in the developed world. Niger, for example, has seen some of the highest spectrum prices in the region during the last decade and some of the lowest levels of mobile broadband coverage, network speeds and mobile adoption.
Licensing more spectrum earlier and at affordable prices can pay dividends for African consumers. Higher amounts of spectrum and lower prices are strongly linked to higher population coverage, download speeds and adoption. Countries which have assigned spectrum earlier have also achieved higher coverage levels. This is consistent with previous research [2] on the topic. For example, Kenya released mobile broadband spectrum earlier than most other countries in Africa and it has assigned one of the highest amounts of coverage spectrum per operator. Partly as a result, mobile broadband has now reached more than 95 per cent population coverage.

These findings have important policy implications. Operators can only invest in networks and deliver high-speed services to businesses and consumers if governments award enough spectrum at affordable prices, especially when the impacts of Covid-19 (coronavirus) are constraining growth in the private sector and the economy more widely. Furthermore, the longer-term economic benefits of doing so far outweigh any short-term public revenue gains. Connecting all of Africa to mobile internet by 2030 would add 5.5 per cent to projected economic growth over the next decade and it also help reduce poverty.

So what should governments do?
First, they should release more spectrum to expand coverage, improve network quality and encourage mobile adoption. This includes any spectrum left over for use in the 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands as well as spectrum to enable coverage (700MHz and 800MHz bands) and capacity requirements (2300MHz and 2600MHz bands). To realise the full potential of mobile services, authorities should licence spectrum in a timely manner, which enables faster and wider network deployments. Going forward, this will include the spectrum required for new 5G services.

It is also important spectrum policy supports affordable pricing, with well-designed auctions which have clear rules and guidelines. Such auctions should avoid creating artificial scarcity, allow price discovery and they should set modest reserve prices and annual fees. Otherwise, operators may have less ability to invest or, at worst, it will result in vital spectrum not being sold (as happened in Ghana and Mozambique).

Lastly, governments should provide long-term licences and give operators the flexibility to manage spectrum with technology–neutral licences, in order for them to optimise the use of each band. Many countries have now issued technology-neutral licences, some in response to Covid-19 (for example in Tunisia). Indeed, there have been a number of examples of regulators taking measures [3] to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and enabling operators to maintain quality and resilience in existing networks, as well as rolling out new 5G networks [4]. Such measures, which could be made permanent, offer lessons on how regulators and policymakers in Africa can support operators to continue expanding networks in the coming years, especially given the continued economic uncertainty.

– Kalvin Bahia – economist, GSMA Intelligence

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.

[1] https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/resources/effective-spectrum-pricing-africa/
[2] https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Impact-of-spectrum-prices-on-consumers.pdf
[3] https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/blog/keeping-everyone-and-everything-connected-how-temporary-access-to-spectrum-can-ease-congestion-during-the-covid-19-crisis/
[4] https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/new-zealand-leads-the-way-with-direct-approach-to-5g-spectrum-access/

Intelligence Brief: The end of the console wars ushers in a new era of gaming

By the end of this week, both Microsoft and Sony will have released their latest gaming machines, the Xbox Series X (or S) and the PlayStation 5 (PS5).

The launch of a new generation of consoles would normally signal the start of a new console war like the one which raged throughout the 2010’s between Sony and Microsoft. But as the gaming world prepares for the arrival of the new consoles, what is most striking about this generation is how unlike it is to the previous generation.

Although Sony has stayed largely in its comfort zone with the PS5, producing a console whose primary appeal will be its library of marquee exclusives, Microsoft has instead embraced an emerging and increasingly popular subscription-based model for its gaming business. This move leverages its extensive institutional expertise in cloud infrastructure, and has the potential to permanently reshape both the console world and the wider gaming market, with immediate and direct consequences for mobile operators and smartphone OEMs.

How to build a Netflix for games
Our recent Consumers in Focus survey suggests that the PS5 will once again outsell the new Xbox, with 14 per cent of consumers intending to buy it compared with 9 per cent for the Series X and S. But from Microsoft’s perspective, raw unit sales will be much less important than they once were, as its strategy is now built around its Game Pass subscription which allows users to pay a monthly fee to access a library of titles to play on any device including Xbox, PC, or smartphone. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella put it, the company’s aim is to become the “Netflix for games.” To achieve this, the Xbox maker has not been shy about investing, spending billions to acquire high-profile game developers to bring high quality, premium titles to its platform. So central is the subscription model to Microsoft’s new strategy, it is even offering the new Xbox bundled in with its All Access Game Pass subscription, for about $10 extra per month.

There are several reasons for Microsoft to be optimistic about its odds of success.

While the console gaming market is relatively small (earlier this year we estimated there are about 778 million console gamers globally), the broader gaming ecosystem is massive, with some 2.5 billion people playing on either a smartphone, a PC, a console, or a tablet. Despite being a nascent business model, gaming subscription services already enjoy reasonably high adoption figures in the gaming community, as 28 per cent of console gamers already have one. [1]And, our survey showed, the top feature drawing current users to gaming subscriptions in the first place also happens to be the one that Microsoft is investing the most heavily in: a large library of high quality titles (see chart, right, click to enlarge).

Our survey shows there is certainly latent consumer demand for a “Netflix for games”, but there are other signs out there that gaming subscriptions are poised for growth. Most notably, there has been an enormous influx of new entrants into the subscription gaming market of late. Beyond Microsoft’s manoeuvring in the console space, Apple recently reshuffled Apple Arcade to fit within its combined Apple One subscription, which will bring the service to far more customers, and now Amazon and Facebook have announced new gaming services. This doesn’t, in itself, mean gaming subscriptions are guaranteed to take off (the industry has been wrong before), but the sheer volume of activity in the space makes it hard to ignore.

What is unique about Microsoft’s strategy is it was first big name in gaming to pursue a largely device agnostic approach to gaming subscriptions. That a legacy player should want gamers to be able to access their games no matter what device they are using is genuinely innovative, and is only possible because of Microsoft’s position as a both a gaming company and a cloud infrastructure heavyweight. The reason this strategy signals a shift not just for Microsoft, but for the gaming industry as a whole, is the move brings a radically different style and calibre of game to the mobile gaming ecosystem. And in terms of competitive landscape, Microsoft has gone from competing head-to-head with Sony (and to some extent Nintendo) in the 2010’s to competing with any company with a presence in gaming, on any platform. Deliberately increasing the number of direct competitors you face may not seem wise, but in so doing, Microsoft has more than tripled its addressable market, mostly by tapping into the massive and under-monetised world of smartphone gaming.

New opportunities in a changed gaming landscape
For the smartphone and telecom sectors, the impact of moving large numbers of console gamers onto mobile platforms is likely to be both immediate and profound. Operators, in particular, should be paying attention to the ways Microsoft is redefining its position in the gaming market, as the ability to stream games over operator networks is central to its approach. This move dovetails with the operator push to roll out 5G, as mobile gaming has been one the key use cases for operators to highlight their new network’s capabilities. Our survey showed console gamers are more interested than average in upgrading to 5G (66 per cent intend to, compared with 45 per cent among non-console gamers), so operators should take this opportunity to convert as many of them as possible, whether that be through a partnership with an established cloud gaming provider, cross-promotion, or some other arrangement. Smartphone OEMs can similarly benefit, as Samsung is doing by offering a trial of Microsoft’s new service bundled with its devices.

As Microsoft moves into new competitive terrain, it leaves a reconfigured gaming industry in its wake. What is certain is that the Microsoft/Sony console wars of the 2010’s are over and a new era has begun. The most likely effect of Microsoft’s moves to bring console gaming to new devices is the collapse of the silos that have traditionally separated different segments of the gaming world. Where hardware was once the crucial factor that decided the games you could play, Microsoft’s manoeuvres could signal the start of new paradigm where games are accessible at any time, from anywhere, on any device. Even a few years ago the idea that Microsoft could pivot to become the Netflix of gaming would have been met with scepticism. But it’s often forgotten that before Netflix grew into the streaming giant we know today, it spent years as a mail-order DVD service, struggling to compete against firmly entrenched legacy players in video rental and pay-TV. Only when it embraced nascent digital streaming technology did it succeed, and in the process it ushered in a new paradigm for online video. It’s possible that in the not-too-distant future, we might recall Microsoft’s pivot to subscription gaming as a bit of history playing out again.

Jason Reed – lead analyst, Digital Consumer, GSMA Intelligence

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.

[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GSMAI_game_subscription_adoption.jpg

Intelligence Brief: How has the Indian mobile sector survived Covid-19?

The outbreak of Covid19 (coronavirus) has impacted almost every country across the globe and India is no different. In fact, for the last two quarters, India was among the top ten most affected countries in terms of infections and deaths. Stats for the Indian telecom market, however, suggest it has remained on a stable footing; in Q2 2020, among the top ten most affected countries, eight reported a negative mobile revenue growth (year-on-year basis). India and Brazil were the only two countries to report positive mobile revenue growth.

Revenue growth is important, but only one part of the story. Let’s have a quick look at some of the key metrics to identify the overall impact:

Revenue and ARPU: Indian telecom operators reported strong growth in revenue during the quarter ended June 2020, thereby defying the economic slowdown from the countrywide lockdown of 68 days through the end of May. Together commanding a subscriber market share of more than 60 per cent – Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel witnessed a strong ARPU uplift and an annual positive revenue growth of 33.7 per cent and 14.7 per cent respectively. On the other hand, Vi (earlier known as Vodafone Idea) reported a revenue and ARPU quarterly decline of 9.3 per cent and 6 per cent respectively during the quarter, mostly due to existing debt.
Lower churn levels: Jio reported a strong wireless gross addition of 15.1 million (36.4 per cent increase year-on-year) despite Covid-19 related restrictions across the country, owing to the increase in demand for data and heavy reliance on 4G networks in India. Monthly churn rates reached all-time lows in the last five years, owing to retail store closures. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea reported churn at 2.2 per cent and 2 per cent respectively during the quarter ended June 2020.
EBITDA/EBITDA Margin: The leading two telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, reported an annual increase in pre-tax profit of 55 per cent and 35 per cent and margin growth of 4 percentage points and 6 percentage points respectively during the quarter ended June 2020, thereby defying the economic slowdown.

It is evident from the above that Indian telecoms weathered the Covid-19 storm well, but the bigger question is how? What makes India different from other countries in the list?

The power of people and ubiquity – India’s demographic is very different from all other most adversely affected countries. With a population of more than 1.3 billion people, India has a huge market base which helped cushion the overall impact of the crisis. LTE subscribers in India rose around 26 per cent year-on-year to around 644 million by June 2020. This clearly shows India’s reliance on mobile phones for various reasons.
Low fixed penetration giving mobile a window of opportunity – According to TRAI (the Indian telecom regulator), of the 683 million broadband subscribers in India as of May 2020, 664 million were using mobile broadband and 19 million were on fixed broadband. The market witnessed quite a surge in its data traffic due to the nationwide lockdown and new norm of remote working. The pressure created from this massive shift from the normal practices to the digital ones was likely to fall upon the mobile networks because of the limited fixed penetration and insufficient fibre layout in the Indian telco market.
Tariff hikes translated into incremental ARPU – The operators announced tariff hikes in the last months of 2019, immediately before the pandemic. These hikes were in the prepaid segment, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of India’s mobile subscribers. Now, the increased data traffic on mobile networks (see chart below, click to enlarge) resulting from Covid-19 combined with increased tariffs translated into growth in ARPU and revenues. This explains how Indian operators remained resilient during the Covid-19 storm.

[1]While it’s true that the Indian telco market has suffered less financial impact due to Covid-19 in comparison with other countries, uncertainty related to economic recovery of the country, pressure to meet ever increasing demand for data services, and competitive intensity still pose a great threat to the sector’s financial stability. So, how does the sector remain sustainable in the long term and deliver on the demands of the new normal? What steps/measures can aid operators?

More harmonised Spectrum: Due to the relatively limited extent of fixed infrastructure, the pressure from the extra traffic created by the shift to remote life is likely falling on the mobile network – primarily LTE. Satish Jamadagni, VP for network planning at Reliance Jio, recently claimed LTE cells in the country are at 90 per cent to 98 per cent capacity, compared to other countries at 40 per cent  to 50 per cent capacity. This clearly shows the appetite for more 4G spectrum in India.

Not just front end spectrum; telcos in India are also facing some backhaul constraints. Spectrum in the E-band and V-band is seen as a crucial backhaul option as the operators plan to modernise their existing 4G networks with 5G ready technologies. However, this spectrum is yet to be released by the government.

According to a recent GSMA Intelligence report [2], mmWave in India can offer opportunities in enhancing mobile broadband (eMBB) and fixed wireless access (FWA). In order to maximise the socioeconomic benefits of mmWave enabled 5G, the Indian government should consider providing timely access to the right amount and type of affordable spectrum, under the right conditions. This will ensure they are able to deliver the low-latency, high speed and high capacity capabilities of 5G.

Boost in Digital Infrastructure: Currently, India has the second largest pool of internet users but lags behind Asian peers like Korea, Japan and China in terms of fibre connectivity. It is believed that if the state governments facilitate RoW (Right of Way) to roll out digital infrastructure, it could not only accelerate the economic progress of states but also make them competitive and help realise various initiatives such as generating jobs, education, healthcare and smart cities.
Services beyond Core: According to a recent study conducted on major operator groups by GSMA Intelligence, services beyond traditional core contributed to approximately 22 per cent of total revenue, which is mainly driven by PayTV accounting for 28 per cent of non-core service revenue. Currently, when traditional services in India (accounting for more than 90 per cent of total revenues) aren’t expected to drive further growth, new (non-core) services can hold promise for better opportunities. Operators are already collaborating with vendors to provide enterprise solutions, such as Airtel recently partnering with Cisco to provide a wide range of cutting edge security solutions to its business customers as well as government entities.
Cross-sell fixed services: Digital dependence in terms of entertainment OTT apps, gaming, educational tech along with health tech is very evidently on the rise. To achieve higher ARPU, operators are already bundling their mobile services with OTT apps, but the converged players now need to provide reliability and high speeds that in India can be served by fixed networks. Converged players need to aggressively cross-sell their fixed services to meet growing demand.

It is clear the Indian telecom market has held up fine till now but there is a lot that needs to happen for the sector to not only survive but thrive in this economic crisis. LTE networks are already overburdened with rising data traffic demand. If the traffic is not diverged towards fixed network assets or additional spectrum is not made available, then operators could find it difficult to keep up with demand. Clearly, government has to be the facilitator while telecom operators and other players invest and create an infrastructure backbone. With the rise in demand for data and content, there will also be pressure on the market to  drive 5G momentum in the coming years.

– Divya Bhargava – Delhi team lead, and Pranika Chauhan – research analyst, GSMA Intelligence

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.

[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ib2.jpg
[2] https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/research/research/research-2020/the-impacts-of-mmwave-5g-in-india

Intelligence Brief: How has the Indian mobile sector survived Covid-19?

The outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19) has impacted almost every country across the globe and India is no different. In fact, for the last two quarters, India had been among the top 10 most affected countries in terms of infections and deaths. Stats for the Indian telecom market, however, suggest it has remained on a stable footing; in Q2 2020, among the top 10 most affected countries, eight reported a negative mobile revenue growth (year-on-year basis). India and Brazil were the only two countries to report positive mobile revenue growth.

Revenue growth is important, but only one part of the story. Let’s have a quick look at some of the key metrics to identify the overall impact:

Revenue and ARPU: Indian telecom operators reported strong growth in revenue during the quarter ended June 2020, thereby defying the economic slowdown from the countrywide lockdown of 68 days through the end of May. Together commanding a subscriber market share of more than 60 per cent – Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel witnessed a strong ARPU uplift and an annual positive revenue growth of 33.7 per cent and 14.7 per cent respectively. On the other hand, Vi (earlier known as VodafoneIdea) reported a revenue and ARPU quarterly decline of 9.3 per cent and 6 per cent respectively during the quarter, mostly due to the existing debt.
Lower churn levels: Jio reported a strong wireless gross addition of 15.1 million (36.4 per cent increase on y-o-y basis) despite Covid-19 related restrictions across the country, owing to the increase in demand for data and heavy reliance on 4G networks in India. Monthly churn rates reached all-time lows in last 5 years, owing to the retail store closures. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone reported churn at 2.2 per cent and 2 per cent respectively during the quarter ended June 2020.
EBITDA/EBITDA Margin: The leading two telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, reported an annual increase in pre-tax profit growth of 55 per cent and 35 per cent and margin growth of 4 percentage points and 6 percentage points respectively during the quarter ended June 2020, thereby defying the economic slowdown due to Covid-19.

It is evident from the above that Indian telecoms weathered the Covid-19 storm well, but the bigger question is “how?” What makes India different from other countries in the list?

The power of people and ubiquity – India’s demographic is very different from all the other most adversely affected countries. With a population of more than 1.3 billion people, India has a huge market base which helped cushion the overall impact of the crisis. LTE subscribers in India rose around 26 per cent year-on-year to around 644 million by June 2020. This clearly shows India’s reliance on mobile phones for various reasons.
Low fixed penetration giving mobile a window of opportunity – According to TRAI (the Indian telecom regulator), of the 683 million broadband subscribers in India as of May 2020, 664 million were using mobile broadband and 19 million were on fixed broadband. The market witnessed quite a surge in its data traffic due to the nationwide lockdown and new norm of remote working. The pressure created from this massive shift from the normal practices to the digital ones was likely to fall upon the mobile networks because of the limited fixed penetration and insufficient fibre layout in the Indian telco market.
Tariff hikes translated into an incremental ARPU – The operators announced tariff hikes in the last months of 2019, immediately before the pandemic. These hikes were in the prepaid segment, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of India’s mobile subscribers. Now, the increased data traffic on mobile networks (see chart below, click to enlarge) resulting from Covid-19 combined with increased tariffs translated into growth in ARPU and Revenues. This explains how Indian telcos remained resilient during the COVID-19 storm.

[1]While it’s true that the Indian telco market has suffered less financial impact due to Covid-19 in comparison to other countries, uncertainty related to economic recovery of the country, pressure to meet ever increasing burden due to rising demand of data services, and competitive intensity still pose a great threat to the sector’s financial stability. So, how does the sector remain sustainable in the long term and deliver on the demands of the “new normal”? What steps/measures can aid operators?

More harmonised Spectrum: Due to the relatively limited extent of fixed infrastructure, the pressure from the extra traffic created by the shift to remote life is likely falling on the mobile network – primarily LTE. Satish Jamadagni, VP for network planning at Reliance Jio, recently claimed LTE cells in the country are at 90–98 per cent capacity, compared to other countries at 40–50 per cent capacity. This clearly shows the appetite for more 4G spectrum in India.

Not just front end spectrum; telcos in India are also facing some backhaul constraints. Spectrum in the E-band and V-band is seen as a crucial backhaul option as the operators plan to modernise their existing 4G networks with 5G ready technologies. However, this spectrum is yet to be released by the government.

According to a recent GSMA Intelligence report [2], mmWave in India can offer opportunities in enhancing mobile broadband (eMBB) and fixed wireless access (FWA). In order to maximise the socioeconomic benefits of mmWave enabled 5G, the Indian government should consider providing timely access to the right amount and type of affordable spectrum, under the right conditions. This will ensure they are able to deliver the low-latency, high speed and high capacity capabilities of 5G.

Boost in Digital Infrastructure: Currently, India has the second largest pool of internet users but lags behind Asian peers like Korea, Japan and China in terms of fibre connectivity. It is believed that if the state governments facilitate RoW (Right of Way) to roll out digital infrastructure, it could not only accelerate the economic progress of states but also make them competitive and help realise various initiatives such as generating jobs, education, healthcare and smart cities.
Services beyond ‘Core’: According to a recent study conducted on major operator groups by GSMA Intelligence, services beyond traditional core contributed to approx. 22 per cent of total revenue, which is mainly driven by PayTV accounting for 28 per cent of non-core service revenue. Currently, when traditional services in India (accounting for more than 90 per cent of total revenues) aren’t expected to drive further growth, new (non-core) services can hold promise for better opportunities. The operators are already seen collaborating with vendors to provide enterprise solutions, such as Airtel recently partnering with Cisco to provide a wide range of cutting edge security solutions to its business customers as well as government entities.
Cross-sell fixed services: Digital dependence in terms of entertainment OTT apps, gaming, educational tech along with health tech is very evidently on the rise. To achieve higher ARPU, operators are already bundling their mobile services with OTT apps, but the converged players now need to provide reliability and high speeds that in India can be served by fixed networks. Converged players need to aggressively cross-sell their fixed services to meet the growing demand.

It is clear that the Indian telecom market has been holding up fine till now but there is a lot that needs to happen for the sector to not only survive but thrive in this economic crisis. LTE networks are already overburdened with rising data traffic demand. If the traffic is not diverged towards fixed network assets or additional spectrum is not made available, then operators could find it difficult to keep up with demand. Clearly, government has to be the facilitator while telecom operators and other players invest and create an infrastructure backbone. With the rise in demand for data and content, there will be pressure on the market to  drive 5G momentum in the coming years.

– Divya Bhargava, Delhi Team Lead, GSMA Intelligence and Pranika Chauhan, Research Analyst, GSMA Intelligence

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.

[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ib2.jpg
[2] https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/research/research/research-2020/the-impacts-of-mmwave-5g-in-india

Industry reaction: Apple makes splash with launch of 5G iPhones

In this article by Mobile News, Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence, reacts to the launch of the iPhone 12, and the importance of the new smartphone’s 5G compatibility, from a mobile operator perspective.

Findings from our “Operators in Focus” survey series and operator research show that 5G compatibility is the number-one feature for 37% of operators looking to add a new smartphone to their device portfolio.

Read More

For more insights on operators’ device strategies in the 5G era, and our “Operators in Focus” survey, consult:
“Device portfolios and strategies in the 5G era.”

For more insights on the launch of the iPhone 12 and its implications for the consumer 5G ecosystem, read:
“iPhone 12 launch: 5G searches for a connection with consumers.”