The Mobile Economy Latin America 2021

In another year marked by the COVID-19 recession, mobile technologies and services generated 7.1% of regional GDP – a contribution that amounted to more than $340 billion of economic value added. The mobile ecosystem also supported more than 1.6 million jobs (directly and indirectly).

The report shows commercial 5G networks are now live in a handful of countries in the region. 5G is expected to account for 12% of the region’s total connections by 2025, with some countries exceeding the regional average, most notably Brazil, at 20%. However, 4G remains the foundation of the Latin American mobile industry, as operators have largely focused on migrating 2G and 3G customers to 4G networks.