This insight is open to all subscribers and registered users, or available by completing the form.
For all its success, 5G has yet to fully deliver on one of its fundamental objectives: operator revenue growth and diversification. As an indication, global ARPU growth for operators was on par with inflation from the start of 2020 through to the end of 2023. Meanwhile, and not surprisingly, operators continue to focus on business growth, driven by new revenues and improved user experience.
Against this backdrop, the arrival of 5G-Advanced in 2024 promises to give operators a new tool for delivering innovative, revenue-enhancing services by meeting real-world requirements for consumers and enterprises.
With the RAN dominating operator capex, most of the attention has been on 5G-Advanced RAN innovation. Core networks, however, will also need to evolve in the 5G-Advanced era. This includes performance enhancements to address new traffic and use cases; greater core network deployment distribution to support traffic and use case requirements; and deterministic performance support and embedded intelligence to manage the new era of 5G services and network infrastructure.
Report details
The 5G-Advanced era: the importance of 5G’s evolution for the mobile core
Download the report
Complete the form 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
The 5G-Advanced era: the importance of 5G’s evolution for the mobile core
Download the report
Complete the form 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.
Related research
Fixing the middle mile in mobile networks: a multi-technology assessment for the 5G era
To aid operators that are evaluating middle-mile transport solutions, GSMA Intelligence has developed the TCO Calculator, based on research and analysis of existing and emerging middle-mile transport solutions across a number of deployment scenarios around the world. The rapid expansion of 5G networks is driving an unprecedented surge in mobile data consumption, which is placing immense pressure on the middle mile. As a result, operators must diversify their product/solution mix for middle-mile transport.
MWC Shanghai 2026: 6G, sovereignty and AI monetisation come to the fore
With a 33% rise in international visitors this year, MWC Shanghai speaks to China’s influence and gravitational pull on the regional Asian tech economy and reciprocal demand from buyers to see and be seen on the MWC stage in an already busy event calendar. The analysis here highlights the key takeaways and implications from the meetings, summits and announcements at the event.
5G in Context, Q1 2026
This quarterly review of global 5G developments provides a concise, tracker-style deliverable, presenting key metrics and forecasts in an easy-to-access and engaging way. GSMA Intelligence has aggregated the latest data on 5G connections, adoption and coverage, as well as information on network trials/launches and spectrum assignments.
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 more- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics
How can we support you?
Get in touch
Contact the GSMA Intelligence support team for help with your account, subscriptions, or access to reports and insights.
Newsletter
Subscribe to the GSMA Intelligence newsletter for the latest industry news and insights, delivered to your inbox.