Telecom Statistics You Need to Know in 2023

Telecommunication plays an important part in linking people and businesses across various countries of the world. It comprises all services and technologies that send information over a distance through electronic devices. Some telecommunication media include telephones, public internet, radio, computer networks, and satellites.

The industry’s growth rate has consistently risen since the invention of the first telegraph in the 19th century. This article explores interesting telecom statistics and revolutionary changes in the industry. Let’s dive in.

Major Telecom Statistics

1. 64.4% of the global population makes use of telecom services.
2. Abraham Graham Bell invented the first telephone on March 7, 1876.
3. Martin Cooper produced the first mobile telephone for Motorola on April 3, 1973.
4. Telecom services revenue worldwide is estimated to be £1.13 billion in 2023 and $1.58 trillion in 2028.
5. Global Information Technology (IT) spending estimates on telecommunications services in 2023 is $1.5 trillion. This figure represents a 2.8% increase from the 1.42 billion spent in 2022.
6. The US market remains competitive; the largest telecommunication operator by market cap is China Mobile, with a value of $189.12 billion.
7. The second-largest telecom operator is T-Mobile US, worth about $180.67 billion.
8. In 2022, AT&T became the world’s largest telecom operator with revenue of $120 billion.
9. Telecommunication has made telecommuting achievable, with 70% of people working remotely globally at least once weekly.
10. The top 5 telecom tech companies based in the US are AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and DISH.
11. China Mobile 5G subscribers increased by over 227 million in 2022.
12. Verizon ranked the most valuable wireless telecom operator in 2023, with a brand value of $67.44 billion.
13. The Telecom Global Market has an estimated value of 3041.8 billion in 2023.

The Vast Nature of the Global Telecom Market

The telecom industry has encountered a significant increase globally over the past years despite being competitive. The market grew from $ 2.868.37 billion in 2022 to $3041.8 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2%. The forecast reveals the market size is expected to hit $3,818.42 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 5.8%.

The telecom industry is the center for innovation, growth, and income revenue streams today. Thus, the telecommunication statistics below reveal a complete perspective, telecom market statistics, and analysis of the present and future of the industry.

Telecom Market Size Statistics

1. Over 6.7 Billion Mobile Network Smartphone Data Subscriptions.

Due to an expansion in infrastructure, global internet users have continuously increased the world’s population online. However, the telecom industry faces market competition, technological change, and consumer demands. In 2022, only about 23% of people in sub-Saharan Africa could access the internet, compared to 55% worldwide. This is not a result of non-existent network coverage but hindrances like lack of digital literacy and affordability.

Mobile network subscriptions amount to 6.7 billion active subscribers in 2023 and are predicted to have over 7.8 billion subscribers in 2028. China tops the list of smartphone mobile network subscriptions with over 950 million subscribers. India seconds the list with over 492 million subscribers, with the US following with over 273 million users. Some factors associated with the unwavering growth in mobile data traffic are:

• Increased number of mobile devices, users, and active subscribers.
• 5G Network.
• Trendiness of Video streaming and online gaming apps.

2. Mobile Data Market Contributes to the Global Market Share.

The global mobile data market increased from $764.04 billion to $894.84 billion between 2022 and 2023 at a CAGR of 12.4%. The forecast shows the mobile data sector will hit 1459.09 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 13%. Revenue generated by mobile data service providers adds to the global mobile data service market and creates new revenue streams. North America, being the top in the mobile data sector, is predicted to be the fastest-growing region. In 2022, North America became the region with the most mobile data users globally.

3. The 5G Network is the Industry’s Most Advanced Available Network Broadband.

5G network is the most advanced mobile network technology, with standalone connections capable of overtaking 4G in a few years. The rollout of 5G has been a significant emphasis and is determined to double its subscriptions between 2022 and 2024.  5G has emerged as the next big technology to transform telecommunication services, forecasted to have 5.9 billion subscriptions globally in 2027. 5G-enabled smartphones accounted for only 1% of the world’s smartphone shipments in 2019. 

In 2020, it increased to 20% and is expected to increase to 69% by 2023 to overtake 4G shipments. This has led to a rapid gain in market share of 5G-enabled smartphones. Singapore, the first country with full 5G network coverage, has experienced substantial growth. Monthly 5G mobile data traffic is estimated at 24.4 Exabyte in 2021 and 28.7 Exabyte in 2023. Monthly mobile data traffic is predicted to hit 288 Exabyte in 2027 globally.

4. AT&T, a Leader in Wireless Communication in the United States, has a Market Share of 46.4%.

AT&T is a multinational mobile service provider in the US, with a market share of 46.4% wireless subscriptions in 2023. The company has long been a market leader in wireless communication, with a workforce of 160,700 in 2023. Its $3.1 billion quarterly revenues in 2022 led to its fall from being the largest service provider in the US. The company’s revenue recorded a fall of 28% to $120.74 billion, making Verizon the market leader.

5. Telecom Cloud Market Growth is Estimated to Reach $106 Billion by 2028.

Telecom cloud computing greatly helps businesses, builds digital relationships, and reduces operational and administrative costs. It welcomes edge networks’ new core capabilities and monetized 5G networks. Impressively, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increased mobile data traffic and telecom generally. The pandemic unleashed the ability to work from home, encouraging mobile data usage on enabling devices. 

Additionally, the rise in the consumption of data and an alarming need for cloud services resulted in market growth. The global telecom cloud market is predicted to hit $ 106 billion by 2028, with a 19.41% growth rate between 2023 and 2028. Meanwhile, in 2021, the market size reached $ 20.4 billion and in 2022 reached $ 34.5 billion. The primary factors driving the telecom cloud market are the virtual environment trend and the increased need for cloud computing.

6. Google Drive is the Most Used Storage Service, With 94.44% Usage.

Google Drive is the most common cloud storage service, recording 94.44% usage with over 800M active users. It takes 36.81% of the file-hosting industry. Although Google Drive is the most used cloud storage service, Dropbox is best for collaboration. Google Drive is the best pick for students and app integration over Sync.com, pCloud, Icedrive, MEGA, etc. Google Drive hosts over 2T files and has recorded over 1 billion users as of 2018, with over 31,255 companies using it. Additionally, the US covers 76% of Google Drive users, with over 23,588 companies in use. UK makes up for 6% with 1809 with Canada and India following.

Telecom Usage Statistics

7. Mobile Phone Users are Expected to Reach Around 5.44 Billion in 2023.

Predictions show 5.44 billion mobile phone users in 2023, indicating a massive increase in users in 2022. In 2022, over 168 million new users were recorded due to the penetration of smartphones into the market.

8. China Records the Highest Number of Smartphone Users.

Over 974 million smartphone users were recorded in China, making it the country with the most smartphone users in 2022. India came second with 659 million users, and the United States came third with 274 million smartphone users. China and India are expected to top the list in the future, considering they have a large population. The rise in mobile data subscriptions results from an increase in the number of smartphone users. This has led to massive growth in the telecom industry.

9. The United States accounts for 61% of Data Usage of 5G Network

An increased excitement for technology triggered the widespread expansion of 5G coverage. About 61% of the US population uses the 5G network, indicating an increase from 43% in 2021. This shows the broad spread of the 5G network in the US. Globally, the 5G network is predicted to hit 51% of shipments by 2023.

Statistics of Telecom Services

Telecom service ranks as the second largest sector in the telecom industry, and in 2022, it was valued at $1,805.61 billion.

10. AT&T in the United States is the Largest Provider of Telecommunication Services.

The company has generated a total revenue of more than $168 billion and is leading due to its great ranking in ARPU. As a result of the high demand for faster data connectivity, AT&T has upgraded its network coverage to 5G. 

11. 52% of Mobile Phone Users in the United States Use Apple Safari to Browse the Internet.

More than half of mobile users in the United States use Apple Safari to browse the internet. This proves the popularity of iPhone usage in the United States. About 124.7 million people use iPhones, placing Google in second place with 41.67%.

12. Amazon Web Services, in 2022, Was the Biggest Company in Cloud Computing Worldwide.

Amazon Web Services contributes to 31% of the cloud computing market globally, covering 26 regions. The annual revenue in 2022 was $62B, and the forecast predicts a $74B yearly income. Microsoft Azure seconded the list with a 20% market revenue, and Google Cloud came third with 7%.

Telecom International Industry Statistics

There has been a significant development in the telecom industry, and the market will spend $1.5 trillion by the end of 2023. This means that the industry will experience innovations in the following years. The statistics below express the contribution of the world’s regions to developing the telecom industry.

13. The Asia Pacific Region Contributed Over 33% to the Market Share of the Telecom Industry.

According to telecom statistics, the Asia-Pacific region has generated over 33% of the industry market share. The area will likely increase its CAGR, which is at 7.0, between 2023 and 2030. The high rate of purchasing items using smartphones by 75% of people in the Asia-Pacific region and the introduction of the 5G network are among the factors that increased its market share. By 2030, the area will have over half of all new mobile subscriptions. These developments and projections make Asia–Pacific a great contributor to the telecom industry. 

14. In the World, Smartphone Users are predominantly the Highest in China, With About 950 Million.

With 950 million users of smartphones in China, it is the largest number in the world. The country in 2020 had 99.93% mobile phone users using the internet every day. India comes next in the ranking of countries with the most usage of smartphones, with 492.78 million. These two countries are likely to continue leading in ranking countries using smartphones because of their large population.  

15. Globally, Japanese Telecommunications is the Third Largest Market in the Industry.

The telecommunication market industry of Japan, with a revenue base of $138 billion, is the third largest in the world. Despite the reduction in Japan’s population rate, it still has three great mobile network providers. These mobile network companies spend a lot setting up connection towers and infrastructures for efficient service delivery to their users.

16. The Telecommunication Service of China will Have a Value of About $49 Billion.

China Mobile, the telecommunication service provider of the Chinese, took the position of the highest mobile network operator in the region in 2020. Globally, the country ranked third highest in revenue generation after Verizon and AT&T in the United States.

17. Deutsche Telekom is the Most Outstanding Brand in Europe, Worth $62.9 Billion.

This value increased by 5% from the last performance and a 58% rise from the 2020 result. Deutsche Telekom is one of the top German German companies alongside Allianz Group and Mercedes Benz.

18. With a Connection Speed of 126.94 Mbps, Norway’s Internet is the Fastest Worldwide.

The United Arab Emirates, Norway, and Qatar in September 2022 each had an average speed of over 120 Mbps and is the fastest globally. Norway has the most immediate average internet connection with 126.94 Mbps, closely followed by the United Arab Emirates with 126.85 Mbps.

Verdict: What is the Value of Telecom? 

The telecommunication industry has come a long way and has developed a fifth-generation broadband called the 5G network. This innovation came as a result of the popular request by users for a better data transfer capability. The growth in this industry can be attributed to the increase in the number of smartphone users across various countries. Network operators consistently plan and spend on constructing towers and infrastructures that can provide efficient service to their users.

Frequently Asked Questions