The Mobile Economy Latin America 2020

The mobile industry in Latin America has risen to the challenge of sustaining social and economic activity in the region during the pandemic, despite unprecedented growth in data traffic. On average, operators reported a 25% increase in mobile data traffic during lockdown.

By the end of 2020, nearly 360 million people in the region, representing 57% of the population, will be connected to the mobile internet. However, with nearly 300 million people in the region still unable to connect to the mobile internet, the pandemic serves as a reminder of the need to accelerate efforts to close the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.

Mobile technologies and services generated 7% of GDP in Latin America in 2019 - a contribution that amounted to more than $421 billion of economic value added. The mobile ecosystem also supported around 1.4 million jobs and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with $33 billion raised through taxation. The mobile industry’s contribution will rise over the coming years as countries increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.

To address the challenges in extending connectivity to unconnected populations, there is a need for continued collaboration between policymakers, regulatory agencies and mobile operators to build sustainable network infrastructure.