Asia Pacific’s Mobile Economy Set To Reach US$1.4 Trillion By 2030

Asia Pacific’s mobile industry is on track to become an increasingly important engine of economic growth, with mobile technologies and services expected to contribute US$1.4 trillion (RM5.7 trillion) to the region’s economy by 2030.

That represents a 40 per cent increase from the approximately US$1 trillion (RM4.1 trillion) contribution generated today, according to the GSMA’s Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2026 report. But the next phase of growth will be about more than simply connecting more people to mobile networks.

The GSMA identifies artificial intelligence (AI), digital trust, digital sovereignty and resilience as four forces that will increasingly determine how Asia Pacific captures the economic value of its digital transformation. The shift is already visible across major industries, with 5G, AI and the Internet of Things expected to generate significant productivity gains, particularly across manufacturing and services.

Together, these sectors are expected to account for more than half of the economic benefits generated by advanced mobile technologies, creating opportunities for businesses to automate processes, improve supply chains and develop new digital services. For mobile operators, that also means moving beyond their traditional role as connectivity providers.

Operators are increasingly investing in AI infrastructure, cloud services and enterprise solutions, positioning telecommunications networks as a foundation for the wider digital economy.

"The mobile industry is playing an increasingly important role in shaping Asia Pacific's digital future. As this report shows, economies and societies across the region are becoming increasingly digital, with mobile networks serving as the foundation for AI adoption, digital trust and resilient digital infrastructure. As governments place greater emphasis on digital sovereignty and citizens expect stronger protection from scams, fraud and cyber threats, the responsibilities placed on our industry continue to grow. M360 ASEAN brings together policymakers, industry leaders and innovators to address these challenges, strengthen trust and ensure digital transformation delivers long-term economic and social benefits for everyone." Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA

5G moves towards the mainstream The scale of the transformation is reflected in the expected growth of 5G. The GSMA forecasts that Asia Pacific will have around 1.5 billion 5G connections by 2030, representing half of all mobile connections in the region.

Mobile operators are expected to invest more than US$200 billion (RM818 billion) in capital expenditure between 2025 and 2030 as they expand networks and build the infrastructure required to support increasingly data intensive applications.

Yet a significant digital divide remains. More than 700 million adults across Asia Pacific are still offline despite living in areas covered by mobile broadband networks. Closing that gap will be critical if the region is to translate technological progress into broader economic participation.

The GSMA is also warning that connectivity without trust could undermine the value of the digital economy. The proportion of consumers in ASEAN reporting that they had been victims of scams increased from 31 per cent in 2024 to 45 per cent in 2025. The rise is pushing mobile operators and technology companies to invest more heavily in fraud prevention, cybersecurity and cross industry cooperation. For governments and businesses, the issue is becoming more than a consumer protection concern. As more financial, commercial and government services move online, confidence in digital platforms becomes a prerequisite for continued adoption.

Another increasingly important issue is digital sovereignty. Governments across Asia Pacific are looking to strengthen domestic capabilities in areas including AI infrastructure, cloud computing, data management and critical digital networks.

The objective is not necessarily to operate independently from the global technology ecosystem, but to ensure that critical infrastructure and capabilities are sufficiently resilient and trusted to support national priorities. That is creating new opportunities for investment in local data centres, cloud infrastructure, AI platforms, cybersecurity and other digital capabilities.

The region’s growing dependence on digital infrastructure is also changing how governments and companies assess risk. Climate related disruption, geopolitical tensions, supply chain vulnerabilities and the increasing dependence of economies on digital services are making network resilience a strategic issue rather than simply a technical one. For businesses operating across Asia Pacific, reliable digital infrastructure is increasingly part of the basic requirements for investment, manufacturing and regional supply chains.

The GSMA’s findings will form part of the discussion at M360 ASEAN 2026, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur on September 9 and 10. The event is expected to bring together policymakers, regulators, mobile operators, technology companies and investors to examine how ASEAN can strengthen digital infrastructure while making greater use of AI and advanced connectivity.

For Malaysia, hosting the event provides an opportunity to position Kuala Lumpur as a regional platform for conversations around telecommunications, AI, digital infrastructure and the wider digital economy. The broader message from the GSMA report is that Asia Pacific’s next digital growth phase will not be determined by connectivity alone.

The region now has to build an ecosystem that is trusted, secure, resilient and capable of turning connectivity and AI into measurable productivity gains.

Source: GSMA, Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2026, and GSMA press release