The contribution of IoT to economic growth

Mobile operators face a defining moment in authentication. SMS one-time password (OTP) remains widely used and commercially important, but fraud, rising costs and competition from passkeys and app-based solutions are weakening its position. At the same time, the customer authentication market is growing. This presents operators with an opportunity to build on the reach and trust of the mobile number to secure a larger role in a rapidly expanding market. API-based solutions will be central to this.

B2B has emerged as a strategic growth area for operators and the wider tech/digital ecosystem. As the digital transformation of vertical sectors accelerates, gaining insights directly from enterprises is key. GSMA Intelligence surveyed more than 350 enterprises across China, from 10 vertical sectors, to gain insight into their digital transformation. The research focused on strategic objectives, investment plans, use of technology, deployment challenges, supplier decisions, tech sovereignty, and policy and regulation.

Africa has expanded mobile broadband coverage significantly, but a substantial connectivity gap remains. This report examines how spectrum availability, pricing and licensing conditions affect operators’ ability to expand coverage, improve network quality and support digital adoption. It provides a comprehensive assessment of Africa’s current spectrum policy and licensing landscape, highlighting key challenges around spectrum assignments, pricing, licence obligations, technology neutrality, spectrum roadmaps and licence duration.