Mobile data traffic in Europe will almost triple by 2028, fuelled by increasing 5G adoption, coverage, and capacity, and migration to 4G migration in central and eastern Europe, according to the 2023 Mobile Economy Report from the GSMA. Europe Mobile Data

Analysis of 48 territories indicates that 5G subscribers are interested in adding high-bandwidth services and content to their mobile contracts, fuelled by demand for high-quality gaming, extended reality, and video content. In turn, these demands will require continued investment in Europe’s mobile networks by operators, who are already expected to spend more than Eur 198 billion on upgrading their networks by 2030.

In further analysis, the report, which evaluates the value of the mobile ecosystem to Europe’s economy, shows that:

• The mobile sector added Eur 910 billion of value to the European economy in 2022, with mobile technologies and services generating 4.3% of GDP across Europe.
• The entire ecosystem accounted for 2.2 million jobs, directly or indirectly, in 2022.
• Mobile-based productivity contributed Eur 670 billion to the European economy, while operators’ own contributions generated Eur 110 billion.
• By 2030, it is expected that the sector’s economic contribution will reach EUR 1 trillion, driven mostly by the continued expansion of the ecosystem and vertical segments benefiting from the improvements in productivity and efficiency delivered by the take-up of mobile services.

The GSMA found that the mobile ecosystem contributed Eur 110 billion in taxes in 2022, with employment taxes and social security generating Eur 50 billion, followed by services, VAT, sales taxes, and excise duties at Eur 40 billion.