The Mobile Economy North America 2022

Mobile networks are vital to economic recovery and the realisation of green and digital transformation across North America. During the pandemic, mobile acted as a critical lifeline for consumers and it is set to play a crucial role in defining the ‘new normal’.

In 2021, 329 million people in North America (84% of the population) subscribed to mobile services. The total addressable market for the region’s operators is approaching saturation point, with the US accounting for the majority of new unique subscribers. Smartphone adoption, however, still has some headroom to grow.

The US and Canada are among the global leaders in terms of 5G adoption, reflecting the ambitious 5G deployment plans of operators and a rapidly expanding device and content ecosystem. 5G will account for almost all mobile capex in the period to 2025 as operators step up deployments of mid-band spectrum, taking overall population coverage to 92% in Canada and 100% in the US by 2025. At that time, 5G will account for almost two thirds of total mobile connections across North America, which is equivalent to nearly 280 million connections.

In 2021, mobile technologies and services generated 4.2% of GDP in North America, a contribution that amounted to more than $1 trillion of economic value added. The mobile ecosystem also supported more than 2.2 million jobs (directly and indirectly) and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with $110 billion raised through taxation. Over the period to 2030, 5G technologies will drive further contributions to the region’s economy, impacting key industries such as manufacturing and public administration.