Infographic: mobile broadband - Mobile broadband now accounts for a quarter of global connections
Please sign in or register for a free public account to access this report.
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.
Related research
The mobile churn challenge: where loyalty is lowest and four recommendations for operators
The latest consumer survey by GSMA Intelligence reveals that around one in seven mobile users changed their service provider over the previous 12 months. The main reasons for churn have stayed largely unchanged over the last five years, at the aggregate level, with value for money by far the top reason. However, variations exist between consumer segments in terms of the degree of churn and the drivers.
MWC Shanghai 2025: a window into the future?
MWC Shanghai is in the books for another year, having attracted 45,000 visitors (from 12,500 companies), along with 400 exhibitors and partner groups. The numbers were up from the 2024 event by 13% and 92% respectively. This analysis highlights the key takeaways and implications from meetings, summits and announcements at the event – and in particular, whether the progress seen in China can be mapped to other regions.
GSMA Open Gateway: State of the Market, H1 2025
Representing 285 networks and almost 80% of mobile subscribers worldwide, 73 operator groups are now committed to GSMA Open Gateway. This latest research provides an update on the state of the market, recent developments, and examples of GSMA Open Gateway in action. It also offers a deep dive on supply/demand gap analysis.
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
The mobile churn challenge: where loyalty is lowest and four recommendations for operators
The latest consumer survey by GSMA Intelligence reveals that around one in seven mobile users changed their service provider over the previous 12 months. The main reasons for churn have stayed largely unchanged over the last five years, at the aggregate level, with value for money by far the top reason. However, variations exist between consumer segments in terms of the degree of churn and the drivers.
MWC Shanghai 2025: a window into the future?
MWC Shanghai is in the books for another year, having attracted 45,000 visitors (from 12,500 companies), along with 400 exhibitors and partner groups. The numbers were up from the 2024 event by 13% and 92% respectively. This analysis highlights the key takeaways and implications from meetings, summits and announcements at the event – and in particular, whether the progress seen in China can be mapped to other regions.
GSMA Open Gateway: State of the Market, H1 2025
Representing 285 networks and almost 80% of mobile subscribers worldwide, 73 operator groups are now committed to GSMA Open Gateway. This latest research provides an update on the state of the market, recent developments, and examples of GSMA Open Gateway in action. It also offers a deep dive on supply/demand gap analysis.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics