The global mobile industry is poised for significant growth over the coming years, according to "The Mobile Economy 2023" report published by GSMA. The document forecasts that the world's mobile internet users will reach 5.5 billion by 2030, marking a 64% penetration rate, a substantial increase from 55% in 2022. Mobile connectivity is highlighted as a crucial lifeline for society, facilitating interactions, business development, economic growth, and providing essential connections in crisis-affected areas.

Beyond mobile internet users, the report predicts the volume of unique mobile subscribers will climb to 6.3 billion by 2030, representing a 73% penetration rate, up from 5.4 billion subscribers in 2022. Interestingly, markets with currently low penetration, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, are expected to contribute approximately half of all new mobile subscribers globally between 2020 and 2030. Furthermore, smartphone connections are projected to surge from 76% in 2022 to 92% by 2030. This growth is also reflected in the financial sector, with telco operator revenues and investments anticipated to reach $1.20 trillion by 2030, an increase from $1.07 trillion in 2022.

The evolution of network technologies is a key theme, with 5G penetration expected to rise dramatically. The report anticipates global 5G penetration to reach 54% by 2030, up from 12% in 2022. This surge in 5G connections is predicted to lead to a significant decrease in 4G connections, which are forecast to drop from 60% in 2022 to 36% by 2030. Given 5G's status as the most advanced internet connectivity offering, a natural decline in older versions like 3G and 4G connections is expected. As of January 2023, 229 commercial 5G networks were live, and over 700 5G smartphones had been released, with 200 of these launched in 2022 alone.

Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly noted for its unique trajectory in mobile adoption. While regions like Europe and North America have high smartphone penetration, feature phones remain prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Statista report mentioned that over half of the 40 to 50 million mobile phones shipped to Africa were basic models. Despite this, GSMA predicts a significant increase in smartphone adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa, from 51% to 87% by 2030. Regarding network types, 2G connections in the region are expected to drop sharply from 22% in 2022 to just 2% by 2030, and 3G connections are projected to fall from 55% to 35% in the same period. Conversely, newer technologies will see substantial growth: 4G will increase from 22% in 2022 to 47% by 2030, and 5G connections are set to grow from less than 1% to 16% by 2030. The report further indicates that 5G will surpass 4G to become the dominant mobile technology in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2029.