MWC begins with focus on 5G and economic recovery, GSMA condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine

The total number of 5G connections globally is expected to reach 1 billion in 2022 driving further momentum into 5G adoption as usage grows rapidly in key markets, findings of the Global Mobile Economy Report showed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which began on Monday in Barcelona, Spain.   

“In 2021, mobile technologies and services generated $4.5 trillion of economic value, equating to 5% of global GDP. This will grow to $5 trillion in 2025,” the report said, adding that by end of 2025, 5G will account for around a quarter of total mobile connections, and more than two in five people worldwide will live within reach of a 5G network.  

The focus on 5G and maximizing its potential for benefiting countries and economies is the centrepiece of MWC this year which is taking place amid an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.   

“The GSMA strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA said at the inaugural session of the MWC on Monday, while emphasising on the importance of responsible leadership in the context of investments being put into telecom networks as the engines of growth and economic recovery post the pandemic.   

“Responsible Leadership is the way to reject the vision to innovate for global recovery and to unleash the full power of connectivity to transform lives and society,” he said.  

Granryd further noted that the global telecom industry will invest $600 billion from now till 2025 in mobile capex and 85% of it will be on 5G.   

GSMA report added that investments in digital skills training, utilising public funds for connectivity, adopting a balanced approach to collecting revenues through taxes and fees in the mobile sector, and prioritising digital transformation in government services, were key to achieving a resilient post-pandemic recovery. Globally, 4G adoption will account for 55% of total connections by 2025, down from a peak of 58% in 2021, and will have more room to grow in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 4G adoption is below a fifth of total connections.  

The MWC is expected to see keynote sessions from top telecom voices including Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, Adam Selipsky, CEO, Amazon Web Services, Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the FCC and Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm among others.