Thursday 14 May, 2026
Operators plan to tap into a $186 billion market opportunity by completing the 5G journey
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, mobile technology is no longer just a communication tool, it has become the backbone of business transformation. As global economic pressures mount and market uncertainties persist, enterprises worldwide are seeking innovative ways to enhance productivity, manage risk, and gain greater control over their operations.
With full capability 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks and a consultative business approach, operators reach the point of true 5G maturity, creating innovative service opportunities that will unlock a new wave of industrial innovation allowing enterprises to potentially add an extra US$4.7 trillion to the global GDP and create 7.3 million new jobs across industries.
With the full technical deployment of 5G SA and the business transformation needed to fully unlock 5G’s potential, mobile operators are completing the 5G journey, and commencing a new commercial era – one where operators can monetise differentiated services, meet precise enterprise demands, and play a pivotal role in digital transformation across industries.
This combination results in operators that can move beyond connectivity to enable innovation, build strategic partnerships and new revenue streams to creating lasting competitive advantage – which is critical for operators looking to capitalise on an addressable market of USD$186bn, the forecast growth opportunity to 2030.
The changing business landscape
Businesses across the globe face distinct but interconnected challenges. In mature markets like Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia, companies grapple with slow or flat growth in local economies, placing greater emphasis on cost control than in previous decades. Meanwhile, businesses in emerging markets balance growth pressures with preparations for potential future slowdowns. Regardless of geography, executives face increasing accountability demands from regulators and shareholders regarding energy consumption, social responsibility, and employee safety.
In this environment, mobile technology has emerged as the critical enabler for addressing challenges and seizing new opportunities. The right technological infrastructure unleashes productivity through data analytics, automation, and optimisation while facilitating the virtualisation of value chains. As we look to the future, the impact of artificial intelligence will further transform business operations, but only with the support of secure, resilient, and capable connectivity networks.
The business benefits of 5G Standalone networks
Completing the 5G journey unlocks powerful new capabilities for enterprises, offering dedicated network slices tailored to specific use cases, ultra-low latency for real-time operations, and massive scalability for IoT. Businesses can deploy customised virtual networks with guaranteed performance, enabling use cases like critical infrastructure monitoring, autonomous vehicles, and real-time AI applications. The integration of mobile edge computing further enhances responsiveness, making 5G SA ideal for industries requiring split-second decisions and automation at scale.
Built with security at its core, 5G SA strengthens data protection with advanced encryption, secure authentication, and greater control over network resources. This is particularly valuable for sectors with strict compliance needs, such as finance, healthcare, and defence. Additionally, its capacity to support large-scale, low-power IoT networks opens new opportunities in smart cities, industrial automation, and environmental monitoring, helping organisations achieve greater operational insight and efficiency.
From connectivity to business transformation
The true value of 5G Standalone emerges when businesses collaborate with mobile operators to build connectivity-enabled products and services that address specific operational challenges. According to a recent GSMA whitepaper, Destination Growth: The Journey to Complete 5G, enterprises are seeking solutions that enhance efficiency, increase visibility and drive innovation, not just improve connectivity.
By partnering with operators who understand their business needs, enterprises gain access to tailored solutions that integrate 5G capabilities directly into their operations. These capabilities translate into real-world applications such as precision remote training, factory automation, smart mobility solutions, and real-time monitoring across manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and other sectors.
The way forward
As businesses navigate an increasingly complex global environment, the transition to 5G SA offers a pathway to enhanced resilience, efficiency, and innovation. By moving beyond viewing mobile technology merely as a communication tool and embracing its potential for business transformation, enterprises can develop new products, services, and processes that meet the challenges of today’s market while positioning themselves for future success.
For business leaders, the message is clear: 5G Standalone represents not just an evolution in connectivity, but a revolution in how enterprises operate, innovate, and create value. Those who collaborate effectively with mobile operators and the broader ecosystem to leverage these capabilities will be best positioned to thrive in the digital economy of tomorrow.
To discover more about how 5G can help transform your business, download the full whitepaper ‘Destination Growth – The Journey to Complete 5G’ below.
Destination Growth: The Journey to Complete 5G
Read how 5G tech will advance on multiple fronts during 2025 in a recent GSMA article.
About the author
Barbara Pareglio is the GSMA’s technical lead for several areas of focus within the GSMA such as 5G, IoT, automotive, aviation and more
