Infographic: One in five mobile connections will be on 5G by 2025

Asia Pacific’s mobile story is moving beyond just coverage. The region’s next challenge is converting connectivity into digital participation, trusted AI-era infrastructure and resilient growth. This report explores how 5G, AI, network APIs, cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience are reshaping operator strategies. It also outlines the policy priorities needed to sustain investment, close the usage gap and strengthen Asia Pacific’s digital economy.

5G is beginning to make inroads in Africa, though its overall impact remains uneven and limited. With the technology now in its seventh year of deployment, this is a critical juncture for stakeholders to take immediate and coordinated action to accelerate deployment, deepen adoption and maximise the impact of 5G in the region. This includes addressing bottlenecks to spectrum availability and introducing policy incentives to stimulate both consumer and enterprise demand, particularly in markets where operators have already invested heavily in network rollouts.

As digital infrastructure becomes increasingly central to key economic and social outcomes, policymakers are placing a greater emphasis on security and resilience. A key development in this context is the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen cybersecurity requirements through an updated regulatory framework – Cybersecurity Act 2 (known as CSA2). This includes provisions that require the removal of critical equipment supplied by designated high-risk vendors from telecoms infrastructure within a defined timeframe. GSMA Intelligence has conducted unique research to assess the cost of removing critical components from high-risk vendors from European telecoms networks.