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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2
1INDUSTRY OVERVIEW8
1.1Mobile adoption growth slowing10
1.24G takes the lead, while 5G commercialisation approaches17
1.3Scaling the Internet of Things: 11 billion connections in Asia Pacifc
by 20251.4Muted revenue outlook, while capex sees calm before 5G storm21
1.5Mobile delivering economic growth23
2MOBILE DRIVING AND ENABLING INNOVATION
IN A FAST-EVOLVING ECOSYSTEM
28
2.1Asia Pacifc taking the lead on 5G29
2.2Digital commerce is on the rise31
2.3Tech startup ecosystem is growing rapidly34
3MOBILE ADDRESSING SOCIAL CHALLENGES36
3.1Connecting the unconnected36
3.2Delivering greater impact for social initiatives41
4ADVANCING DIGITAL SOCIETIES IN ASIA PACIFIC44
4.1Identity as the cornerstone for a digital society46
4.2Fostering trust in the digital environment46
Contents
Contents1
Mobile adoption growth slowing
Executive
Summary
Asia Pacifc has been the biggest contributor
to global subscriber growth in recent years
and still has room for growth. As of the end
of 2017, there were 2.7 billion unique mobile
subscribers in Asia Pacifc, accounting for two
thirds of the region’s population. More than
half the world’s mobile subscribers live in Asia
Pacifc – mostly in China and India.
However, growth has reached its peak and
has started to taper out: between 2017 and
2025, the subscriber base is set to increase
by a CAGR of 1.8%, down from 6.0% over the
previous four years. Three key factors explain
this slowdown:
the region is home to some of the
most penetrated markets in the world,
with minimal opportunity for further
subscriber growth
the region includes markets with very low
penetration levels, where socioeconomic
issues such as rapid population growth,
poverty and inequality, unplanned
urbanisation and natural disasters create
barriers to mobile adoption
some markets have seen their previously
strong growth stagnate due to the
challenges of connecting those still
unconnected, particularly poorer and
rural communities.
Despite reaching its peak in terms of
subscriber growth, Asia Pacifc will account
for just over half of new subscribers globally
by 2025. We forecast 424 million new
subscribers to be connected across the region
by 2025, bringing the total to 3.2 billion, or
73% of the population.
The Mobile Economy Asia Pacifc 2018
Executive Summary2。