Infographic: mobile broadband - Mobile broadband now accounts for a quarter of global connections
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Mobile broadband technologies have achieved an extremely rapid adoption rate and now make up around a quarter of total global connections, up from around 3% when WCDMA HSPA launched in 2005. HSPA, which makes up the vast majority of mobile broadband connections, is the fastest growing wireless technology ever, with a rate of adoption in its first six years some ten times greater than the take up of GSM mobile phones when they were first introduced in the mid-1990s.
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Learn moreRelated research
The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2025
Mobile connectivity supports efforts to develop modern, inclusive and sustainable digital nations in Asia Pacific, facilitating the increasing integration of transformative technologies such as AI into daily activities for individuals and businesses. In 2024, the mobile sector accounted for 5.6% of GDP in Asia Pacific, contributing $950 billion in value. This is expected to rise to $1.4 trillion by 2030, equivalent to 6.6% of GDP, as the impacts of 5G technology become more widespread across local economies. To fully unlock this potential, fostering digital trust and ensuring the sustainability of the industry have become key priorities for stakeholders across the region's digital ecosystem. This means driving 5G monetisation, addressing the scam economy and mitigating cybersecurity threats, alongside bridging investment gaps, balancing innovation with regulations and implementing effective spectrum policies.
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