Expansion of Mobile Data Will Provide Better Access to Healthcare and Education, Help Lift People Out of Poverty, Fight Hunger, Combat Climate Change and Fuel Economic Growth
BARCELONA,– The GSMA today announced that mobile operator data revenues will overtake voice revenues globally by 20181 as we move towards a fully connected world. The mobile data explosion is being driven by a surge in demand for connected devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and is transforming the socioeconomic future of people in developed and developing countries.
A new GSMA report2, developed in collaboration with PwC, reveals how innovative mobile connected products and services will revolutionise people’s lives over the next five years.
In developed countries:
In developing countries:
“Mobile data is not just a commodity, but is becoming the lifeblood of our daily lives, society and economy, with more and more connected people and things,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “This is an immense responsibility and the mobile industry needs to continue collaborating with governments and key industry sectors to deliver products and services that help people around the world improve their businesses and societies.”
The increase in mobile operator data revenues is a global trend across both developed and emerging markets. In 2012, Japanbecame the first country where data revenues exceeded voice revenues, due largely to the availability of advanced mobile broadband networks and a higher adoption of the latest smartphones, tablets and connected devices. This year, Argentina’s data revenues will exceed voice revenues, attaining this milestone ahead of the US and UK, which will reach this point in 2014.Kenya will experience this shift in 2016, with other emerging economies expected to follow as mobile broadband continues to thrive3.
Data growth has spurred significant advances in connected devices and M2M technologies globally. Four sectors in particular – health, automotive, education and smart cities – are building on the evolution of mobile broadband access and services.
In OECD countries, connected cars equipped with in-car emergency call services can help save 35,000, or one in nine, lives by 2017 by providing quicker and more accurate emergency location and response times.
In the developing world, of the 610 million students enrolled in primary education, only 10 per cent are expected to enter secondary education. The impact of mEducation will result in a 180 million students having the opportunity to stay in education over the next five years in developing countries.
A staggering 360 million tonnes of carbon is emitted by developed market cities each year. Through smart metering this could be reduced by 27 million tonnes, or the equivalent of planting 1.2 billion trees, in 2017.
The GSMA is showcasing examples of the mobile products and services that are enabling global socioeconomic improvements at its Connected City at Mobile World Congress this week. This includes features such as remote health monitoring that link people to healthcare professionals from their own homes, intelligent logistics services that provide more efficient ways of transporting people and goods, smart technology that makes mobile the ‘brains’ of your home, and in-car services that change the way we consume information on the move.
For the complete GSMA-PwC report visit: www.gsma.com/connectedliving.
For more information on the GSMA Connected City visit: www.gsma.com/newsroom/gsma-to-unveil-the-connected-city-at-mwc-2013.
Notes to Editors
1 Global Mobile Operator Data vs. Voice Revenue Forecast 2018 – GSMA
GSMA (2018 extrapolation of Ovum 2012-2017 Mobile Voice and Data Revenue Forecast)
| Region | Year | Data Revenues (US$) | Voice Revenues (US$) |
| Global | 2018 | $559 billion | $547 billion |
2 Connected Life: The impact of the connected life in the next five years, PwC for the GSMA
3 By Country Mobile Operator Data vs. Voice Revenue Breakdown – Ovum
Ovum 2012-2017 Mobile Voice and Data Revenue Forecast
| Country | Year | Data Revenues (US$) | Voice Revenues (US$) |
| Japan | 2012 | $48 billion | $46.5 billion |
| Argentina | 2013 | $5.22 billion | $5.16 billion |
| US | 2014 | $123.9 billion | $105.8 billion |
| UK | 2014 | $14.2 billion | $13.9 billion |
| Kenya | 2016 | $828 million | $789 million |
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 with more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. 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 www.gsma.com or Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com.