Covid-19 impact: digital divide exposed further in emerging markets

As 5G standalone and 5G-Advanced mature across North America, mobile connectivity is becoming strategic infrastructure for AI, cloud services, industrial automation and new enterprise applications. Continued investment in mobile networks will be critical to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and maintain the region’s long-term competitiveness. In 2025, mobile technologies and services generated $1.9 trillion in economic value across North America, equivalent to 5.8% of regional GDP.

Sovereignty has moved from being a strategy position on paper to actual deployment plans. Most operators are building selectively at the data and infrastructure layers, where they already have assets. As well as outlining why sovereignty matters now and presenting global and regional landscapes, this research examines telco approaches to sovereignty so far and the priorities ahead for both operators and governments.

By the end of 2025, the number of people using mobile internet increased to 4.8 billion people (59% of the global population). However, around 3.4 billion people still do not use mobile internet, and significant digital divides persist. As advancements in technologies such as AI accelerate the pace of digitalisation, it is more critical than ever to ensure no one is left behind. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 provides the mobile industry and other stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity, as well as insights on key barriers to mobile internet adoption and to further use of mobile internet among existing users.