Prepaid connections: global dominance assured
This insight is open to all subscribers and registered users, or available by completing the form below.
Report details
Prepaid connections: global dominance assured
GSMA Intelligence has published prepaid and contract connections for all operators in the world. This research shows that prepaid currently accounts for 63% of the world's connections. With over 80% of the world's net additions being on prepaid plans in Q4 2005, this dominance is set to increase. Contract customers still number 800 million but are concentrated by geography, predominantly in North America, Western Europe and the Asia Pacific markets of China, India, Japan and Korea.
Download the Report
Complete the form below to get instant access to this content. For easier access in the future, you can register for a free account here.
By submitting this form, you agree that your email address and related activity on the platform will be processed for the purpose of generating and providing the requested report. Your data will be shared with GSMA Intelligence for this purpose. For more information, please see the GSMA Intelligence Privacy Policy.
Report details
Prepaid connections: global dominance assured
Related research
The winner, the biggest mover and the surprise: what operators focused on at MWC 2026
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at which topics telecoms operators focused on at MWC Barcelona 2026.
Operators at MWC Barcelona 2026: strategies, innovation and messages shaping the industry
This report examines operators’ engagement at MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting their announcements, innovations, strategy updates and messaging, in addition to examining implications for telecoms ecosystem players. We show our findings for 17 major operators across 12 areas of focus, including AI, 5G, B2B, B2C, cloud/edge and emerging tech such as APIs and non-terrestrial networks.
MWC Barcelona 2026: AI and sovereignty battle for dominance in a post-5G world
Around 105,000 people from 207 countries attended MWC Barcelona 2026. The show attracted more than 2,900 exhibitors, including telecoms operators, vendors and firms from across the broader technology ecosystem. This report examines the key announcements and innovations that took centre stage, what came as a surprise and what it all means for telecoms and the wider TMT industry.
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 winner, the biggest mover and the surprise: what operators focused on at MWC 2026
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at which topics telecoms operators focused on at MWC Barcelona 2026.
Operators at MWC Barcelona 2026: strategies, innovation and messages shaping the industry
This report examines operators’ engagement at MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting their announcements, innovations, strategy updates and messaging, in addition to examining implications for telecoms ecosystem players. We show our findings for 17 major operators across 12 areas of focus, including AI, 5G, B2B, B2C, cloud/edge and emerging tech such as APIs and non-terrestrial networks.
MWC Barcelona 2026: AI and sovereignty battle for dominance in a post-5G world
Around 105,000 people from 207 countries attended MWC Barcelona 2026. The show attracted more than 2,900 exhibitors, including telecoms operators, vendors and firms from across the broader technology ecosystem. This report examines the key announcements and innovations that took centre stage, what came as a surprise and what it all means for telecoms and the wider TMT industry.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics
