At the post-MWC exchange event in Beijing, GSMA leaders contextualized the important role the mobile industry already plays in China's economy.
March 26, 2024, Beijing: Ahead of the GSMA's post-MWC sharing event in Beijing, the GSMA released the Mobile Economy China 2024 report. The report forecasts that more than half of Chinese mobile connections will be 5G by the end of 2024. The contribution is expected 5G to GDP in China will reach nearly $260 billion in 2030, accounting for 23% of the overall annual economic impact of mobile in China. . Also by 2030, 5G connections in China will account for almost a third of the global total, and 5G adoption in China will reach almost 90%, making it one of the leading markets globally.
Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, saying: “It's fantastic to see China, the world's largest 5G market, so enthusiastically engage with the GSMA's Open Gateway initiative to help drive the growth and maturity of the technology. As China surpasses one billion 5G connections this year, we expect to see more investment and potential in evolutions such as 5G-Advanced, 5G New Calling and 5G RedCap to improve user experience and unlock new revenue streams for operators.”
Meanwhile, major Chinese operators remain committed to the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, the GSMA shared today in a press conference ahead of the post-MWC exchange event in Beijing, where industry leaders in the digital ecosystem gather to share their views on key trends and opportunities in 2024, as well as collaborations between the industry in China and the global community. The GSMA launched Open Gateway at MWC Barcelona 2023. Today, China's three major mobile operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, announced the commercial launch of the One Time Password (OTP) API, as part of their participation at GSMA Open. Gateway Initiative. Additionally, CITIC Telecom, Huawei and ZTE have become the latest Chinese tech giants to commit to GSMA Open Gateway.
The 5G market in China continues to mature, delivering greater connections and broader economic value. 5G adoption is growing faster than anticipated thanks to the speed of network deployments and a maturing device ecosystem. More than 800 million Chinese mobile connections are already 5G. This year, the share of 5G connections is expected to increase from 45% to more than 50% and become the dominant mobile technology in the country, with more than one billion total connections by the end of 2024.
The Mobile Economy China report, presented at the event, also found:
- There are currently 1.28 billion unique mobile subscribers in China, a penetration rate of 88%.
- The overall contribution of mobile telephony to the Chinese economy in 2023 reached $970 billion, or 5.5% of GDP.
- 5G is expected to reach 1.6 billion connections by 2030, representing a third of the global total, and is expected to contribute $260 billion to China's GDP.
- Another 290 million people in China now use mobile Internet compared to eight years ago (2015), closing the country's usage gap from 43% to just 16%.
- Mobile data traffic in China expected to quadruple by end of decade
The overall ecosystem now supports nearly 8 million jobs in the country and contributes $110 billion annually through taxes, while operator revenues have reached $225 billion by 2023. By the end of the decade, the annual economic contribution of China's mobile sector will exceed $1 trillion. .
Another key driver of 5G growth in China will be the expanded use of the 6 GHz spectrum band. China became the first country in the world to identify the 6 GHz band for IMT in its national legislation in June 2023, already providing unmatched high contiguous bandwidth in the mid-band, which is crucial to the success of future 5G evolution.
Shanghai MWC returns in 2024
Attention and excitement at the post-MWC sharing event inevitably focused on the return of MWC Shanghai 2024 following its successful 10th anniversary last year. The event will be held at the New International Exhibition Center starting on the 26thth at 28th June 2024 and will again feature industry-leading insights and presentations from key decision makers in the technology industry on current and future trends.
Under the overarching theme “Future First”, the three sub-themes of 5G and Beyond, AI Economy and Manufacturing DX will bring together global industries, technologies and communities to harness the potential of the future and be at the forefront of change.
The 5G IN Zone will also return to MWC Shanghai, inviting attendees to explore technology-related innovations taking place across industry verticals, including AI, IoT, edge computing and AR/VR. 5G IN stands for “5G Innovation and Investment” and is one of our GSMA Foundry projects that brings together mobile operators, partners and investors from the industry and ecosystem to stimulate 5G innovation and increase collaboration between sectors.
We are also delighted to be hosting the GSMA's Asia Mobile Awards (AMO), the region's most prestigious award for the connectivity industry. Created to celebrate the people, organizations and associations that drive our industry. We will organize an in-person event at MWC Shanghai
Sihan Bo Chen, GSMA Greater China Director, commented: “MWC Shanghai has quickly become the key technology and telecommunications event in China, and we are excited to convene the sector's leading players and those from adjacent industries in this dynamic region. The development of AI, computing and 5G-Advanced are ushering in a new wave of growth potential, which is reinforced by the growth and impact of 5G in China. I am confident that in the coming years the ecosystem of China and the rest of Asia will further drive cross-sector innovation globally.”
MWC Shanghai provides an essential and strategic platform to convene and promote the digital ecosystem. Pre-registration is now open at www.mwcshanghai.com.
We invite you to download the Mobile Economy China 2024 report by clicking here.
-ENDS-
About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver critical innovation for positive business environments and social change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA offers its members three broad pillars: connectivity for good, industry services and solutions, and outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, addressing today's biggest societal challenges, supporting the technology and interoperability that make mobile devices work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to learn more at gsma.com
