The total mobile services revenue in China is poised to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% from $144.3 billion in 2022 to $188.2 billion in 2027, mainly driven by the robust growth in mobile data services segment, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest China Mobile Broadband Forecast (Q4 2022) reveals that the growth in mobile data service revenues will offset the decline in mobile voice service revenues during the forecast period. While mobile voice service revenue will decline at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2022 and 2027, mobile data revenue will increase at a CAGR of 9.1% over the same period, primarily driven by the increasing adoption of higher ARPU-5G services.

Srikanth Vaidya, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The average monthly mobile data usage in China is expected to increase from 12 GB in 2022 to 34.2 GB in 2027, driven by the growing consumption of online video and social media content over smartphones, thanks to the widespread availability of 4G services and increase in 5G services availability.”

GlobalData is optimistic about the country’s mobile broadband services outlook with 5G services leading the way. 5G subscriptions are estimated to account for a majority 86.1% share of the total mobile subscriptions in 2027, driven by the ongoing 5G network expansion by operators and proliferation of 5G-enabled smartphones.

Vaidya concludes “China Mobile led the mobile services market in China in 2022, followed by China Telecom. China Mobile will retain its leading position through 2027, supported by its ongoing 5G service expansion to cater to the rising demand for high-speed services by residential and enterprise segments. China Mobile has invested about CNY58.7 billion ($8.7 billion) on 5G infrastructure in H1 2022, which will help strengthen its services in the country.”