The global cellular industry balance sheet - Financial trends in developed and developing economies

Download the Report
Complete the form below to get instant access to this report. For easier access in the future, you can register for a free account here.
Please sign in or register for a free public account to access this report.
The Global Cellular Industry Balance Sheet is now available for download:
Mobile operators in the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - are accounting for a rapidly growing share of global mobile revenue, and are on track to overtake the US in market size (revenue) by 2012. According to a new GSMA Intelligence study, The Global Cellular Industry Balance Sheet, BRIC operators have recorded the strongest revenue growth in recent years, generating total revenues of US$170 billion in 2010, an increase of US$30 billion since 2008. BRIC operators are expected to exceed US$200 billion in revenues in 2012.
The study forecasts that the total revenues generated by mobile operators worldwide will cross the US$1.1 trillion mark in 2012. Developing markets will be the primary engine of growth, contributing over 40 percent of global revenues by this point - up from 33 percent four years ago. Global operator revenues reached US$1.057 trillion in 2010, the study says, with operators investing around US$200 billion in capital expenditure (capex) during the year.
Related research
5G Next: optimising energy in the age of network complexity via integrated dashboards
This Insight Spotlight is part of our 5G Next series, which helps clarify the next phase of 5G and highlights key technological innovations. Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly critical as it directly affects operational costs, while the integration of new network layers can contribute to rising energy consumption. Reducing operational complexity, unlocking actionable insights and transforming billing will be foundational to achieve efficiency, sustainability goals and long-term network resilience in the 5G era and beyond.
5G in Context, Q2 2025
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 and adoption, as well as information on network trials/launches and spectrum assignments.
Mobile Data Deck, Q2 2025
The GSMA Intelligence Mobile Data Deck offers a fast track to all the essential data you need to know, with key mobile metrics in one easy-to-use deck of charts. The forecasts to 2030 include connections by region and technology generation, smartphone connections and adoption, and mobile operator revenue.
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
5G Next: optimising energy in the age of network complexity via integrated dashboards
This Insight Spotlight is part of our 5G Next series, which helps clarify the next phase of 5G and highlights key technological innovations. Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly critical as it directly affects operational costs, while the integration of new network layers can contribute to rising energy consumption. Reducing operational complexity, unlocking actionable insights and transforming billing will be foundational to achieve efficiency, sustainability goals and long-term network resilience in the 5G era and beyond.
5G in Context, Q2 2025
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 and adoption, as well as information on network trials/launches and spectrum assignments.
Mobile Data Deck, Q2 2025
The GSMA Intelligence Mobile Data Deck offers a fast track to all the essential data you need to know, with key mobile metrics in one easy-to-use deck of charts. The forecasts to 2030 include connections by region and technology generation, smartphone connections and adoption, and mobile operator revenue.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics