Cellular ARPU 2006: trends continue
Please sign in or register for a free public account to access this report.
World cellular blended ARPU resumed its longer-term downward trend in 2006, having been flatter during 2005. The trend is visible in all regions except North America and Latin America, and is most evident in countries with lower penetration rates. There are some countries where ARPU is growing and, interestingly, these are mostly in the markets with higher penetration rates. But, at very high levels of market penetration, multiple device ownership drives reported ARPU lower again. This distorts the view of real users' behaviour and real ARPU growth is typically 5% better than reported ARPU growth in developed markets. High-speed data services (HSDPA and CDMA2000 1X Rev A) are causing a visible improvement on non-voice ARPU, in some cases more than compensating for falls in voice ARPU.
Download the Report
Complete the form below to get instant access to this report. For easier access in the future, you can register for a free account here.
Related research
Mobile Data Deck, Q3 2025
The GSMA Intelligence Mobile Data Deck offers a fast track to all the essential data you need to know, with key mobile metrics in one easy-to-use deck of charts. The forecasts to 2030 include connections by region and technology generation, smartphone connections and adoption, and mobile operator revenue.
The Mobile Economy North America 2025
Across North America, almost 320 million people are connected to the mobile internet. Around 60% connect through 5G networks, underlining the speed at which the region is migrating to next-generation devices and services.
5G Next: optimising energy in the age of network complexity via integrated dashboards
This Insight Spotlight is part of our 5G Next series, which helps clarify the next phase of 5G and highlights key technological innovations. Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly critical as it directly affects operational costs, while the integration of new network layers can contribute to rising energy consumption. Reducing operational complexity, unlocking actionable insights and transforming billing will be foundational to achieve efficiency, sustainability goals and long-term network resilience in the 5G era and beyond.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
Mobile Data Deck, Q3 2025
The GSMA Intelligence Mobile Data Deck offers a fast track to all the essential data you need to know, with key mobile metrics in one easy-to-use deck of charts. The forecasts to 2030 include connections by region and technology generation, smartphone connections and adoption, and mobile operator revenue.
The Mobile Economy North America 2025
Across North America, almost 320 million people are connected to the mobile internet. Around 60% connect through 5G networks, underlining the speed at which the region is migrating to next-generation devices and services.
5G Next: optimising energy in the age of network complexity via integrated dashboards
This Insight Spotlight is part of our 5G Next series, which helps clarify the next phase of 5G and highlights key technological innovations. Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly critical as it directly affects operational costs, while the integration of new network layers can contribute to rising energy consumption. Reducing operational complexity, unlocking actionable insights and transforming billing will be foundational to achieve efficiency, sustainability goals and long-term network resilience in the 5G era and beyond.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics