The Mobile Economy Latin America and the Caribbean 2018

The Mobile Economy Latin America and the Caribbean 2018

This insight is open to all subscribers and registered users, or available by completing the form.

By mid-2018, there were 442 million unique mobile subscribers across Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for 68% of the population. The region is characterised by varying levels of mobile subscriber penetration. A number of countries (such as Chile, Uruguay and Argentina) are approaching saturation of the total addressable market, while others (including Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua) still exhibit relatively low levels of penetration.

Despite slowing mobile subscriber growth in recent years, Latin America and the Caribbean still has substantial room for growth. The region will account for 10% of all new subscribers globally out to 2025. Material increases in subscriber numbers will be delivered by major markets including Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, which have penetration levels close to the regional average. By 2025, around three quarters of the region’s population will subscribe to mobile services, closing the gap on the average for developed markets.

The mobile ecosystem in Latin America continues to thrive and is experiencing rapid innovation, driven by growth in new technologies, services and use cases. Mobile operators across the region are contributing significantly to the Internet of Things (IoT) market. The widespread availability and increasing adoption of mobile services in Latin America has also spurred a paradigm shift in the creation, distribution and consumption of content in the region.

Report details

The Mobile Economy Latin America and the Caribbean 2018
Pages
62
Released
DECEMBER 2018

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.

Opt-in for Marketing Communications:
To ensure you stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the mobile industry, GSMA Intelligence would like to send you information about events, products, services, and initiatives, as well as industry news. Please subscribe by ticking this box; once subscribed, you can tailor what you receive from us at any time, or unsubscribe, should you wish.

Related research

SERIES: The Mobile Economy

The Mobile Economy North America 2026

Topic

As 5G standalone and 5G-Advanced mature across North America, mobile connectivity is becoming strategic infrastructure for AI, cloud services, industrial automation and new enterprise applications. Continued investment in mobile networks will be critical to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and maintain the region’s long-term competitiveness. In 2025, mobile technologies and services generated $1.9 trillion in economic value across North America, equivalent to 5.8% of regional GDP.

This insight is locked

Telcos and sovereignty: state of the market

Standard
●
Topics

Sovereignty has moved from being a strategy position on paper to actual deployment plans. Most operators are building selectively at the data and infrastructure layers, where they already have assets. As well as outlining why sovereignty matters now and presenting global and regional landscapes, this research examines telco approaches to sovereignty so far and the priorities ahead for both operators and governments.

This insight is locked

Digital Nations 2026: building trusted digital ecosystems in ASEAN

Topics

Digital trust has become a strategic delivery mechanism for building digital nations. Countries that build confidence in digital infrastructure, services and institutions will be better placed to convert digitalisation into adoption, innovation, investment and socioeconomic impact. To explain how digital trust can be strengthened, this report introduces four interconnected foundations of digital trust. Traditionally viewed as connectivity providers, mobile operators are increasingly contributing to all four trust foundations, making them key enablers of digital trust. 

This insight is locked

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 subscription

Contact our research team

Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.

Contact our research team

Media

To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.

Learn more
Full access
Get full access to our research now, get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis
  • 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.