Asia-Pacific (APAC) Mobile Broadband Market Trends and Opportunities, 2023 Update

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Mobile Broadband Market Trends and Opportunities Report Overview

The total mobile service revenue in Asia-Pacific (APAC) is estimated at $323.4 billion in 2023. The ongoing expansion of 5G networks and the planned launch of 5G services in new countries over the next few years will create opportunities for operators to increase their ARPU levels. The continued expansion of LTE/4G networks will bring high-speed wireless internet access to rural areas and markets that are relatively underserved by 5G networks, thus driving higher data consumption. All the above factors are expected to drive the mobile services revenue in the APAC region to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% during 2023-2028.

APAC Mobile Broadband Market Outlook 2023-2028 ($ Billion)

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“Asia-Pacific (APAC) Mobile Broadband Market Trends and Opportunities, 2023 Update”, the new Telecom Insider Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the mobile broadband market in Asia-Pacific. It delivers quantitative and qualitative insights into the mobile market, analyzing key trends, competitive dynamics, and growth drivers in the region.

APAC Mobile Broadband Subscription Trends

Mobile Users Trends in APAC: Mobile users in APAC will reach 3.3 billion in 2023. Mobile user penetration will be sluggish in developed Asian countries, while it is likely to increase at a faster rate in emerging Asia, driven by improving mobile network coverage and the availability of cheaper handsets and affordable mobile tariff plans. Some of the countries with the highest mobile penetration in 2023 are Hong Kong, Maldives, Singapore, India, and Pakistan.

Mobile Technology Trends in APAC: 4G subscriptions will account for the highest total mobile subscription share in 2023 but will gradually drop due to subscriber migration to 5G services. 5G subscriptions will grow rapidly driven by telcos’ focus on expanding 5G network coverage. Most APAC countries have deployed 5G with some MNOs even managing to cover over 90% of their country’s population with 5G. The top five 5G markets in APAC are China, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong.

Mobile Device Trends in APAC: The key device types in the APAC mobile broadband market are handsets, connected data, and M2M/IoT. In 2023, handsets are the dominant device category, accounting for over 90% of the total mobile service revenue during 2023.  The segment is further classified into smartphones and feature phones, the former occupying the dominant share during the projected period. The growth can be attributed to the growing adoption of smartphones, the adoption of 4G/5G services, and expanding mobile network coverage across the region. However, M2M/IoT will be the fastest-growing device segment driven by operators’ growing expansion of vertical-specific use cases for M2M/IoT connectivity. Growing consumption of online video and social media content in line with a rise in smartphone and mobile broadband penetration levels will also drive growth in mobile data usage levels through the forecast period.

APAC Mobile Broadband Subscription Trends Analysis by Device Type, 2023 (%)

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APAC Mobile Broadband Revenue Trends

Mobile Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) Trends in Asia-Pacific: Aggregate mobile services ARPU in APAC will increase by 2028 mainly bolstered by the continued rise in mobile data ARPU levels. This growth will be driven by the increase in the adoption of higher ARPU 4G and 5G service plans offered by operators. Furthermore, as of 2023, Japan is the most expensive country in the APAC region in terms of mobile data tariffs as compared to other countries, followed by Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
Mobile Revenue Trends in APAC: Mobile service revenue growth in APAC will be driven by growth in subscriptions in all the device categories over the forecast period with the highest revenue emerging from the handsets due to the growing adoption of growing adoption of smartphones and expanding mobile network coverage across the region. The key countries in the APAC mobile broadband market are Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. During 2023-2028, Taiwan’s mobile service revenue will witness the fastest growth in the APAC region, primarily supported by the growing adoption of smartphones and higher ARPU-yielding 5G/4G mobile plans. Taiwan will be followed by Japan, and Vietnam.

APAC Mobile Broadband Revenue Trends Analysis by Country, 2023 (%)

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APAC Mobile Broadband Market – Competitive Landscape

The key companies in the APAC mobile broadband market are Rakuten, Dito Telecommunity, TPG Telecom, Vodafone Hutchison Australia, China Unicom, Axiata, Telenor Group, BSNL, MTNL, China Mobile Communications, Globe Telecom, and Bharti Telecom among others. Few telcos in the APAC region have been offloading their tower businesses to reduce capex, enhance their balance sheets, and release more cash for core business development through investments into new revenue streams.

Strong competition in the APAC telecom market has been pushing MNOs to improve their scale of operations through M&A activity. Moreover, mobile operators are looking to acquire fixed and internet service providers to improve their portfolios and expand their subscriber base. The entry of new MVNO with approved licenses has resulted in increased networks and wider coverage. In addition, the telcos are improving their M2M/IoT service portfolio by identifying new use cases and leveraging emerging opportunities in various sectors.

A few telcos in APAC have also been offloading their tower businesses to reduce capex, enhance their balance sheets, and release more cash for core business development through investments into new revenue streams.

APAC Mobile Broadband Market Players

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Key Segments Covered in this Report.

APAC Mobile Broadband Device Type Outlook (Market Share, %, 2023)

• Handsets
• Connected Data
• M2M/IoT

APAC Mobile Broadband Country Outlook (Market Share, %, 2023-2028)

• Taiwan
• Japan
• Vietnam
• Australia
• New Zealand

Key Highlights

• Unique mobile user penetration of the population will reach an estimated 77.3% in 2023 and increase to about 81% in 2028 as mobile network coverage expands further in under-served rural areas,
• 5G subscriptions will reach 3.6 billion in 2028, accounting for 59.9% of total mobile subscriptions with 5G services already launched in almost all developed markets
• M2M/IoT will be the fastest growing device segment, with subscriptions expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% over 2023-2028, driven by operators’ growing expansion of vertical-specific use cases for M2M/IoT connectivity.

Reasons to Buy

• This Insider Report provides a comprehensive examination through a forward-looking analysis of Asia-Pacific’s mobile broadband market trends in a concise analytical format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.
• Accompanying GlobalData’s Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Asia-Pacific’s mobile broadband markets.
• The report is designed for an executive-level audience, with charts and tables boasting presentation quality.
• The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive actionable insights will help operators, equipment vendors, and other telecom industry players better position to seize the growth opportunities in Asia-Pacific’s evolving mobile broadband market.