The Mobile Economy North America 2021

The vital role that the mobile industry plays came into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. North American operators have been proactive in reaching out to their customers, working with public authorities and third parties to provide a range of vital services, and supporting the communities in which they operate.

By the end of 2020, 327 million people in North America subscribed to mobile services, representing 83% of the region’s population. This places North America among the world’s most developed mobile markets. However, increasing market saturation also means that subscriber growth is slowing, a scenario that is occurring in other advanced markets around the world.

North America will also be among the global leaders in terms of 5G adoption. By the end of 2025, 5G will account for almost two thirds of total mobile connections, which is equivalent to nearly 270 million connections. While the provision of enhanced mobile broadband to the consumer market has been the core proposition in early 5G deployments, B2B will be the largest incremental opportunity in the 5G era.

The report also examines the impact of mobile on the wider economy of North America. In 2020, mobile technologies and services generated 4.4% of GDP in North America, a contribution that amounted to around $1 trillion of economic value added. Furthermore, the mobile ecosystem supported more than 2.1 million jobs (directly and indirectly) and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with more than $100 billion raised through taxes on the sector.