GSMA, a mobile industry group, said in a report released in Kuala Lumpur on 6 August that mobile technologies and services are projected to contribute US$1.4 trillion to Asia Pacific’s economy by 2030, up 40% from today’s US$1 trillion.

It said AI, digital trust, infrastructure resilience, and digital sovereignty will shape that growth.

The report projected 1.5 billion 5G connections in the region by 2030, equal to 50% of all mobile connections.

Mobile operators are expected to invest more than US$200 billion in capital expenditure between 2025 and 2030.

The mobile ecosystem supported 18 million jobs across the region in 2025.

GSMA said governments and companies across Asia Pacific are dealing with online fraud, rising demand for AI infrastructure, and geopolitical uncertainty.

It added that interest in digital sovereignty is driving investment in local AI infrastructure, trusted cloud services, and secure data environments.

The report said more than 700 million adults in the region remain offline despite being covered by mobile broadband networks.

GSMA said these issues will be discussed at its M360 ASEAN event in Kuala Lumpur on 9-10 September 2026.

🔗 Source: GSMA