Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis of the Asia-Pacific 5G market reveals that the 5G network, boosted by multi-access edge computing (MEC), will strengthen the region’s overall 5G market growth. In addition, the integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and robotics is rapidly increasing real-time automation, fostering greater connectivity in workspaces, and significantly expanding the monetization potential for mobile operators.
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As a result, APAC 5G revenue is expected to grow from $2.13 billion in 2020 to $23.89 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 62.2%. This exponential growth will be largely driven by 5G connectivity and improved performance over 4G. Revenues from 5G network slicing will contribute to the total revenue of the region when the 5G capabilities are incorporated into commercially viable solutions for customers.
“The new dimensions of 5G are triggering the development of new services and technology monetization. Most local governments in APAC support domestic 5G deployments because they help drive economic growth. Mobile operators look to 5G to drive new revenue streams beyond connectivity and help them regain competitiveness against fixed broadband providers,” noted Mei Lee Quah, Director, ICT at Frost & Sullivan. “By 2025, 5G will attract approximately 70%–80% of APAC’s investments in mobile networks.”
Quah added: “5G is emerging at a time when customer experience is a key performance metric and a primary challenge for mobile operators. Customer experience needs to meet the rising expectations of ‘always connected’ consumers while also improving profit margins.”
To take advantage of the 5G network growth opportunities, mobile operators need to focus on:
- 5G Deployments for Customer Segment Needs: Mobile operators must understand customers’ evolving needs to adapt their offering to 5G capabilities.
- 5G-enabled MEC for Mission-critical Applications: As successful end-to-end solutions require synergistic partnerships and co-creation, regional mobile operators should research the potential of 5G and MEC to launch visionary products in a business-to-business (B2B) environment.
- 5G-enabled Business Solutions for the Enterprise Segment: Business leaders must adopt 5G to boost productivity, better leverage a remote workforce, and transition to a hybrid work structure.