CIS Region To Have 54Mln 5G Connections By 2025 - Mobile Operator Trade Group

Connectivity to 5G networks in the Commonwealth of Independent States region will reach up to 54 million people by 2025, the GSM Association (GSMA), the trade body that represents mobile network operators globally, said on Tuesday in a report

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2019) Connectivity to 5G networks in the Commonwealth of Independent States region will reach up to 54 million people by 2025, the GSM Association (GSMA), the trade body that represents mobile network operators globally, said on Tuesday in a report.

By late 2018, the CIS region had 235 million unique 4g mobile subscribers, with Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan accounting for 80 percent of the saturation. The report highlights the need for policymakers to actively invest into 5G networks in the region to harness business opportunities, growth and transformation of traditional industries in the digital technology and mobile sector.

"Russia will lead the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the commercialisation of 5G services, with the region's other markets all launching 5G networks by 2025 ... The CIS region will have around 54 million 5G connections by 2025, an adoption rate of 13 per cent," the report said.

According to the association's research, mobile operators intend to invest up to $39 billion into mobile network infrastructure between 2019 and 2025, of which 70 percent will be specifically for 5G networks.

The report recommended that a national regulatory framework should foster the mobile industry's development by providing an investment-conducive environment.

"In order to capitalise on the tremendous potential of 5G in driving socio-economic growth, regional governments and regulators must adopt policies, such as access to spectrum, that encourage inward investment and encourage the development of the mobile industry," the report said.

The GSMA also noted that in 2018, the mobile industry contributed $101 billion, 4.7 percent of the CIS region's GDP. This number is predicted to increase to 122 billion by 2023.

The report was published as part of the M0bile 360 Series-Eurasia event in Moscow, a two-day conference, which started on Tuesday, that addresses the latest innovations and technologies in the global digital economy. The conference convenes senior-level representatives, policymakers and regulatory authorities interest