The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the health and livelihoods of individuals and communities around the world. Mobile has been particularly instrumental during this period, keeping people connected and underpinning new services in response to the pandemic. By the end of 2020, 5.2 billion people subscribed to mobile services. There will be nearly half a billion new subscribers by 2025, most of which will come from Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2020, mobile technologies and services generated $4.4 trillion of economic value added globally. This figure will grow to nearly $5 trillion by 2025 as countries increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.

One of the most remarkable contributions of mobile connectivity to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 is the use of advanced and innovative digital solutions to support various response measures. Across China, mobile networks, and 5G in particular, have supported frontline healthcare efforts to stem the rate of infections while also enabling remote business operations to comply with social distancing rules.

The GSMA and the World Bank have developed a study to analyse the welfare impact of mobile broadband based on data from Nigeria, the largest mobile market and economy in Africa. The analysis shows that the deployment of mobile broadband infrastructure has played a significant role in increasing household welfare and reducing poverty in Nigeria.

This paper provides new evidence on the relationship between mobile money regulation and usage. It combines data from the Mobile Money Regulatory Index, a comprehensive assessment of mobile money regulations, and the Global Findex Database 2017. The analysis covers almost 50,000 individuals across 46 countries and finds compelling evidence that an enabling regulatory framework is strongly associated with higher mobile money usage.

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. 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 industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has largely risen to the challenge of sustaining social and economic activities in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the unprecedented growth in data traffic. However, Covid-19 has also highlighted the impact of the digital divide for the large number of people in the region still unable to connect to mobile internet. With digital connectivity expected to play an even more central role in society post Covid-19, it is more important now than ever before to address the barriers to mobile internet adoption and usage in the region.

This latest report from GSMA Intelligence highlights how 4G became the CIS region's leading mobile technology in 2020 and will account for 65% of total connections by 2025. With lower cost handsets increasingly available across the region, smartphone adoption is set to reach more than 80% by 2025. With Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia expected to launch 5G during 2021, and 5G networks in the region's other nine markets set to go live by 2025, GSMA Intelligence forecasts that there will be 52 million 5G connections across the CIS region by 2025.

Most of North America has been subject to lockdown measures at some point in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, mobile has proved crucial in keeping individuals safe and economies functioning. Although the rate of 5G adoption was lower than initially expected in the first half of 2020 because of the pandemic, this is likely to be a blip. North America will reach 100 million 5G connections in 2022, and by 2025 it will have become the first region where 5G accounts for more than 50% of total connections.

GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. In this edition, we show how the mobile industry's impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2019 grew faster than ever before.

The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa has largely risen to the challenge of keeping individuals and businesses connected during the pandemic, despite changes in data consumption patterns. However, with nearly 800 million people in the region still not connected to the mobile internet, it has never been more urgent to close the digital divide.

Almost half of the world's population - 3.8 billion people - are using mobile internet. This continues to grow, with an additional 250 million people connecting for the first time in 2019. For many citizens, mobile is their only means of accessing the internet, helping to unlock significant and life-enhancing knowledge, products and services.

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020 examines how the mobile gender gap is changing quickly in LMICs, revealing how the main factors preventing women's equal mobile ownership and internet use are evolving over time, and demonstrating how mobile usage is quickly expanding as smartphone ownership rises.

The digital ecosystem across Asia Pacific has proved vital in the response to recent global challenges, especially the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants from the entire digital value chain are pulling together to ensure the most positive outcome possible.

2019 was a pivotal year for China. The country was one of the first globally to launch 5G services. With operators and enterprises forging ahead in the development of 5G services, and growing consumer excitement, China has cemented its position as a global leader in 5G.

GSMA Intelligence���s Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. In this edition, we look at the rising number of mobile internet users around the world and explore the main sources of this growth.

By the end of 2019, 5.2 billion people subscribed to mobile services, accounting for 67% of the global population; this is forecast to grow by 600 million to 5.8 billion by 2025 (70% of the population). 2019 was also a pivotal year for 5G: the technology is now live in 24 markets, while 5G awareness and intention to upgrade among consumers are both on the rise. At the same time, 4G became the dominant mobile technology across the world constituting 52% of total connections; this figure will grow over the next few years, peaking at just under 60% of global connections in 2023.

Despite two thirds of the global population being mobile subscribers, the true growth story ahead will be in mobile internet subscribers, according to this latest infographic from GSMA Intelligence. Between 2019 and 2025, mobile internet subscribers will increase by more than 30%. New 4G networks, increased smartphone adoption and the growing availability of locally relevant content in emerging markets will help fuel growth in mobile internet subscribers.

From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring some colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. In this edition, we look at the meteoric rise of 4G in India against a financial backdrop that raises questions over the sustainability of the sector.

By 2023, mobile's contribution to the Latin American economy will reach just over $300 billion as countries increasingly benefit from the increased uptake of mobile services and the associated improvements in productivity and efficiency. Driven by ongoing network investment and upcoming spectrum assignments, 4G adoption will accelerate in Latin America over the next few years, reaching 67% by 2025, and pave the way for 5G. The two technologies will coexist for a long time, with 5G's first commercial launch in the region expected in 2020.

5G services have become a reality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As of October 2019, 10 operators had launched commercial 5G services in five GCC Arab States. Mobile operators in these countries are aiming to be global leaders in 5G deployments, while governments view the technology as a potential enabler for their digital transformation ambitions. The 2020s will see 5G activities become more widespread across the region, with trials and commercial launches expected in non-GCC countries.