Mobile Tech

• [New] Devices will become cheaper and networks will continue to expand; 60% of the global population should be reached by 2026, making 5G the fastest-deployed mobile network ever.
• [New] 5G services are expected to launch worldwide in 2021 with more than 50 operators offering services in about 30 countries by the end of 2021, making it a new technology trend you must watch out for.
• [New] Purchases made through mobile devices reached $434.1 billion in 2019, and could hit $729 billion by 2023.
• [New] Biden will likely continue Trump's push to have Chinese vendors excluded from next-generation 5G mobile networks around the world.
• [New] Mobile operators are rolling out the Shared Rural Network which will take 4G to 95% of the UK's landmass by 2025, and 5G roll-out will continue in the coming year providing the groundwork for future innovation and an increasingly connected world.
• AST SpaceMobile is working with Vodafone Group to launch the first phase of its mobile communications service in 2023.
• We project enterprise AR spending to reach $5.1 billion in 2021, which includes AR productivity software for mobile devices as well as AR glasses hardware and software.
• Mobile operators in Australia have been accelerating 5G deployments in 2020 and are waiting for additional spectrum that local regulator ACMA plans to award in 2021 to further expand 5G networks.
• The number of mobile devices operating worldwide is expected to reach 17.72 billion by 2024, an increase of 3.7 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.
• German urban air mobility company Volocopter will be working closely with The Economic Development Board of Singapore and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to launch air taxi services in Singapore within the next three years.
• The new £1bn Shared Rural Network programme will, over the next five years, help all four of the major network operators to increase their combined geographic 4G mobile coverage up to 95% of the United Kingdom.
• Mobile network operator revenue from digital identity will reach US$ 8.1 billion (€6.68 billion) in 2025, up from just $1.3 billion (€1.07 billion) in 2020.
• The Gigabit programme subsidises the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the most difficult to reach 20% of the UK, while the Shared Rural Network programme is a partnership with industry that will deliver high-quality 4G mobile coverage across 95% of the UK by 2025.
• Statista goes even further and forecasts that 5G technology alone will power 1.3 billion mobile IoT devices by 2023, contributing to the internet of things network.
• Mobile service revenue in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will grow by USD 3.3 billion between 2019 and 2025 thanks to operators' mobile investments in both 4G and 5G.
• With nearly two-thirds of spending expected to originate from mobile devices by 2025 (Juniper Research), conversational commerce is gaining traction, both as an industry concept and as a future business opportunity.
• A poll of 129 financial services professionals agreed that cash would be replaced by digital payments methods by the end of the next decade, with 59% believing mobile payments will be the most common.
• The share of technical tests dropped significantly in the past year as several mobile operators have already launched 5G commercial services and others are planning 5G network deployment for the third quarter of 2020 and/or for 2021.
• Europe is estimated to be a major regional ground for the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) market, contributing to a revenue of USD 130.2 billion by 2027.
• 65% of consumers will be using voice, images, and augmented reality by 2023 for interacting with brands via their mobile device, extending the physical and digital experiences of today.
• According to a recent report from GSMA, a trade body representing the interests of mobile network operators, 67% of the global population is currently subscribed to mobile services, with some 700 million new mobile subscribers predicted to join by 2025.
• Mobile data services will drive mobile service revenue growth in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2018 and 2023, but mobile voice will continue to be a key contributor to service revenue.

Last updated: 17 January 2021