GSMA mobile economy China report forecasts China will be first market in the world to reach 1 billion 5G connections by 2025

• At a Post-MWC Sharing event in Beijing, GSMA convenes the digital ecosystem in China to discuss learnings from the Barcelona event, ahead of the much-anticipated MWC Shanghai

Beijing, China – The GSMA today hosted the Post-MWC Sharing event in Beijing with senior stakeholders of the digital ecosystem in China as well as international partners, to discuss insights on key growth trends, industry challenges, key opportunities for global cooperation, as well as innovation and development opportunities for multinational enterprises in China.

Also at the event, the GSMA presented its annual Mobile Economy China report, featuring milestones for mobile development in the region. Key highlights from the report include:

• China will be the first market in the world with 1 billion 5G connections, reaching the milestone by 2025. 5G connections in China will reach 1.6 billion by 2030, accounting for nearly a third of the global total.
• 5G will overtake 4G in 2024 to become the dominant mobile technology in China. 5G adoption continues to rise following expanding network deployments and more affordable devices.
• In 2022, mobile technologies and services generated 5.5% of GDP in China – a contribution that amounted to $1.1 trillion of economic value added.
• China’s 5G base stations exceeded 2.3 million by the end of 2022.

In remarks made at the event, Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA said, “We need to work together as we enter a new era of exploration where networks meet cloud, digitalisation transforms industries and the metaverse creates new possibilities. With our collective vision, wisdom, and action, we can overcome challenges and shape the future of mobile. I am delighted to be back in China and look forward to discussing insights with stakeholders from the digital ecosystem, looking at key growth trends, innovation and development.”

At the Post-MWC Sharing event, participants debated key topics emerging from MWC Barcelona, such as the launch of GSMA Open Gateway. The ground-breaking initiative will harmonise the industry around Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) by delivering value to developers, operators and end users. GSMA Open Gateway will help developers and cloud providers enhance and deploy services more quickly via single points of access to operator networks. The initiative launches with eight universal network APIs, with plans to launch further APIs throughout 2023.

In addition, leaders discussed ways that the digital ecosystem in China and the international industry community can work together constructively to advance socio-economic welfare, enhance innovations, and facilitate the global marketplace and unified standards for the benefit of society as a whole.

GSMA MWC Shanghai 2023 returns

Also at the event, thoughts and plans turned to the upcoming MWC Shanghai event. The three-day industry-leading conference and exhibition event will feature dynamic presentations from C-level decision-makers in the tech industry, providing insights on current and future trends.

Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China at the GSMA, said, “We are thrilled to convene industry leaders in China today and to pave the way for the ecosystem showcase at the upcoming MWC Shanghai event. We are delighted to come back together in person and offer the global industry and adjacent sectors an opportunity to get business done.”

MWC Shanghai is planned for 28 – 30 June 2023, at the New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). It is Asia’s leading event for next-generation technologies, providing an essential and strategic platform to convene and advance the digital ecosystem. Pre-register now at www.mwcshanghai.com and ensure that you join an unmissable experience featuring groundbreaking products and technologies from world-leading companies, with the opportunity to make remarkable connections with senior decision-makers, creators and innovators in the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries.

We welcome you to download the Mobile Economy China 2023 report by clicking here, and to watch the live stream of the Post-MWC Sharing event by clicking here.