GSMA Research Demonstrates That Mobile Industry is Creating a Connected Economy

BARCELONA, Spain, February 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Mobile Industry Set to Grow from US$1.5 Trillion in 2011 to US$1.9 Trillion in 2015

Mobile World Congress -- The GSMA today announced new research findings that demonstrate the positive, long-term economic impact of the global mobile industry. The research, developed by A.T. Kearney, GSMA Wireless Intelligence and Machina Research, indicates that global mobile industry revenues will grow from US$1.5 trillion dollars in 2011 to US$1.9 trillion in 2015. The data also predicts significant growth in mobile industry employment; today, more than 8 million people around the world are employed by companies in the mobile ecosystem, and by the end of 2015, mobile industry jobs will grow to approximately 10 million.

"The mobile communications industry is creating a "Connected Economy" across the globe, through network investment, job creation and contributions to public funding," said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. "Clearly, as the economic indicators show, the mobile industry is success story, particularly in light of the lingering worldwide economic crisis. Perhaps even more powerful, though, is how mobile is transforming adjacent industries, such as education, healthcare, payments and transactions, transportation and utilities. Mobile is connecting the world as no other technology has before."

Mobile Industry Snapshot: 2011-2015

                                           2011            2015
    Mobile Connections                     6.6 billion     9.1 billion
    Mobile Subscribers                     3.6 billion     4.6 billion
    Mobile Broadband Connections           1.3 billion     3.2 billion
    LTE Connections                        10 million      353 million
    Mobile Industry Revenues               $1.5 trillion   $1.9 trillion
    Mobile Operator Revenues               $984 billion    $1.1 trillion
    Mobile Industry Capex                  $189 billion    $204 billion
    Mobile Operator Capex                  $158 billion    $173 billion
    Contribution to Public Funding         $617 billion    $718 billion
    Total Mobile Industry Jobs (worldwide) 8 million       10 million
    Revenues and capex in US Dollars

Over the next four years, 2012 through 2015, the mobile industry will invest US$793 billion in capital and contribute US$2.7 trillion to public funding(1) across the globe.

Beyond the global economic impact, mobile is a significant factor in the growth of local economies. According to the World Bank, a 10 per cent increase in mobile penetration drives a 0.6 per cent increase in a developed country's GDP and a 0.81 per cent increase a developing country's GDP. In low-to-middle income countries, a 10 per cent increase in Mobile Broadband penetration yields a 1.4 per cent increase in GDP.

Initiatives for Growth

Mobile operators are focusing on several key areas that will contribute to further industry growth. These include making continued significant investments in Mobile Broadband and LTE technologies to connect the world's population to the Internet; accelerating the adoption of embedded mobile technology to create the 'Connected Life'; and driving the adoption of SIM-based mobile NFC handsets and services to grow mCommerce. Through these and many other initiatives, and through organic growth, the mobile industry will experience significant improvement across all key economic metrics.

"As an industry, we will build the Connected Economy while ensuring interoperability of services across operators, networks and countries," continued Bouverot. "We will provide a single point of trusted customer care to users to address any issues related to their devices or services. We will ensure the security of our customers' services and data. And we will respect and protect our customers' privacy. That has always been, and will continue to be, mobile operators' core promise."

Note to Editors: Contribution to public finding includes corporate taxes, social security taxes, income tax, VAT and spectrum and regulatory fees.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at http://www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at http://www.mobileworldlive.com