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Highlights from the Mobile Economy Europe 2025 launch event

Thursday 23 January, 2025

Highlights from the Mobile Economy Europe 2025 launch event

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The GSMA hosted the launch event for the Mobile Economy Europe 2025 report in Brussels, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, academia and experts to discuss the latest trends, developments and data in the European mobile industry.  

Download the Mobile Economy Europe 2025 report

Read the press release

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current state and future trajectory of the mobile ecosystem across Europe, offering key insights into mobile connectivity, 5G investments, IoT evolution, and the mobile industry’s role in a greener economy.  

However, data shows that Europe faces significant challenges in 5G rollouts and adoption, stressing how urgent policy reforms are needed to ensure that Europe remains competitive on the world stage. 

Laszlo Toth, Head of Europe & CIS, GSMA opened the event by noting the report provides critical insights into the state of mobile connectivity, investments in 5G, the evolution of IoT, and the transformative role of mobile in shaping a greener, more sustainable economy. He also emphasised how Europe is facing significant challenges and falling behind other regions, expressing hope that the upcoming Digital Networks Act could be the key to unlocking more investment and reigniting Europe’s competitiveness on the global stage. 

“As we unveil the Mobile Economy Europe Report 2025, we are not just looking at statistics and trends. We are looking at how the mobile industry is shaping Europe’s economic landscape, driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering sustainable development“. 

Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), delivered a special address underscoring how high-speed, reliable connectivity is a cornerstone of Europe’s digital economy and one of the keys to enhancing Europe’s global competitiveness, cyber security and overall resilience. He added that governments, regulators, telecom operators, and international organisations need to urgently address connectivity gaps and ensure digital benefits reach everyone. He also noted that the ITU and the GSMA are working together to harness innovation and connect everyone so that people, industry and society can thrive.  

“New technologies, such as space-based communication systems, direct device communication, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and quantum technologies, are driving the next wave of digital transformation, unleashing immersive experiences and unprecedented breakthroughs for smart cities and autonomous systems”. 

James Joiner, Lead Analyst for Network Strategy at GSMA Intelligence, presented the key findings and industry trends from the report, sharing detailed insights into the state of mobile connectivity, investments in 5G, the evolution of IoT, and the transformative role of mobile in shaping a greener, more sustainable economy.  

The report highlights the significant economic and social impact of the mobile industry in Europe that, in 2023, amounted to almost 1.1 trillion euros in economic value added, including a direct impact of 230 billion euros from mobile operators and related sectors. The industry also creates jobs for 2 million people directly and an additional 1 million indirectly.  

Mobile technologies extend beyond basic activities to support essential services like government and health services, education, and training, driving equal access and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.  

Leading the way in climate action, the mobile industry achieved significant reductions in operational emissions per connection – falling by over 50% between 2019 and 2022 – while several operators achieved reductions of over 80%. 

At the same time, the report highlights how the mobile industry faces challenges such as market saturation, slowing subscriber growth, and intense competition, which impact revenue growth and necessitate diversification of services. 

To improve Europe’s 5G performance and digital economy, the report recommends completing the digital single market, ensuring fairness in the internet value chain, adopting a long-term view on investment and innovation, and establishing a pro-business EU spectrum policy.  

  • Economic Contribution: The mobile industry contributed around 5% of Europe’s GDP in 2023, equivalent to almost 1.1 trillion euros, with significant contributions from productivity effects and direct impacts from mobile operators and related sectors. 
  • Public Sector Funding and Job Creation: The industry raised 120 billion euros through taxes and created jobs for nearly 2 million people directly and an additional 1.4 million indirectly in 2023. 
  • Social Impact and Essential Services: Mobile technologies support a wide range of essential services, including government and health services, education, and training, driving equal access and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 
  • Climate Action: The mobile industry is leading in climate action, with significant reductions in operational emissions and the adoption of renewable energy sources, contributing to emissions reductions across other sectors. 
  • Challenges and Policy Recommendations: The industry faces challenges such as market saturation, slowing subscriber growth, and intense competition, necessitating diversification of services and policy recommendations to improve 5G performance and the digital economy. 

“Mobile data traffic in Europe surged from 3 GB per month in 2019 to 15 GB per month in 2024, driven by video usage on social media platforms, and is expected to reach nearly 50 GB per month per connection. However, this increase in data traffic is not expected to result in significant revenue growth for mobile operators, who will need to diversify their services and explore new revenue streams due to intense competition and lower revenues compared to other regions such as South Korea, Japan, the US and the GCC States“. 

Download the Mobile Economy Europe 2025 report
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