Closing the Mobile Connectivity Gap in Developing Asia and the Pacific

Mobile operators face a defining moment in authentication. SMS one-time password (OTP) remains widely used and commercially important, but fraud, rising costs and competition from passkeys and app-based solutions are weakening its position. At the same time, the customer authentication market is growing. This presents operators with an opportunity to build on the reach and trust of the mobile number to secure a larger role in a rapidly expanding market. API-based solutions will be central to this.

GTC Berlin 2026 was this year’s European edition of Nvidia’s flagship event series. Blog posts from GSMA Intelligence provided timely analysis of key messages across the event, as well as the rationale for the telecoms vertical taking a major role in the event’s messaging. However, it is still important to reflect on what GTC conveyed on the evolution of Nvidia’s telco proposition and how its efforts align with market requirements.

Africa has expanded mobile broadband coverage significantly, but a substantial connectivity gap remains. This report examines how spectrum availability, pricing and licensing conditions affect operators’ ability to expand coverage, improve network quality and support digital adoption. It provides a comprehensive assessment of Africa’s current spectrum policy and licensing landscape, highlighting key challenges around spectrum assignments, pricing, licence obligations, technology neutrality, spectrum roadmaps and licence duration.