Asia home to over 50% of world’s mobile broadband servicesWith some 3.7 billion people across Asia using mobile phones – over 50% of the mobile subscribers in the world – spread across a diverse range of markets, the region is already rapidly advancing in the adoption of mobile data/wireless broadband services.
Asia - mobile services and mobile broadband – subscribers/penetration – 2012 – 2015
Category | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 (e) |
Mobile subcriptions |
Subscribers | 3,205 million | 3,457 million | 3,663 million | 3,737 million |
Penetration | 80.9% | 86.4% | 90.6% | 92.0% |
Mobile broadband subcriptions |
Subscribers | 605 million | 741 million | 1,201 million | 1,726 million |
Penetration | 15.3% | 18.5% | 29.8% | 41.0% |
Proportion of mobile subscriber market | 18.9% | 21.4% | 32.8% | 46.2% |
(Source: BuddeComm based on ITU data)
As the penetration of mobile services in Asia moved from 80% to 92% in the four years up to 2015, the share of mobile broadband services as a proportion of the still growing mobile subscriber base moved rapidly from 18% to almost 50%. Growth across the region in high speed access to the internet by means of mobile broadband services has been largely driven by highly competitive markets combined with the preparedness of the customer to embrace new generation mobile technologies. With 3G and 3G+ platforms extensively covering the region, mobile broadband services have already become well established.
The rapid take up has been underpinned by increasingly cheaper smartphone prices and lower airtime tariffs combining to support even wider adoption. And now, of course, we have 4G/LTE providing a fresh impetus, not only in the region’s pace-setting markets, but right across Asia.
In the context of mobile broadband services, we should not ignore the WiMAX platform. Whilst there has been some activity in the providing of fixed WiMAX networks, the real test has been the advent of mobile WiMAX. The roll-out of WiMAX-based mobile services in Asia has begun; however, significant rollouts have been limited to just a few markets. The technology is looking more and more like a platform suited for niche markets. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia have notable WiMAX roll outs.
By end-2015 mobile broadband subcriptions in Asia totalled just over 1.7 billion – about 50% of all the mobile broadband subscribers in the world. The number of mobile broadband subscribers in Asia was growing at around 45% annually heading into 2016.
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1. Regional analysis
1.1 Region Mobile broadband statistics
2. Afghanistan
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Third Generation (3G)
2.2.1 Overview
2.2.2 Background
2.2.3 Bidding process
2.2.4 Licensing
2.2.5 Service launches
2.3 4G / LTE
2.3.1 Etisalat’s ‘misleading’ 4G claim
2.4 Statistics
3. Armenia
3.1 Overview
3.2 3G
3.3 4G / LTE
4. Azerbaijan
4.1 Overview of Azerbaijan’s mobile market
4.2 Third Generation (3G) services
4.2.1 Licensing process
4.2.2 Network launch
4.2.3 Additional licences
4.3 Fourth Generation (4G) / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
4.4 WiMAX
4.4.1 AzQtel
5. Bangladesh
5.1 Overview of Bangladesh’s mobile market
5.2 WiMAX
5.2.1 Background
5.2.2 WiMAX licensing
5.2.3 Operations
5.2.4 Third BWA licence
5.2.5 TD-LTE (4G) licences
5.2.6 Network expansions and roll-outs
5.2.7 WiFi
5.3 Mobile broadband statistics
5.3.1 Alokito Bangladesh
5.3.2 Ongoing development
6. Bhutan
6.1 Overview of Bhutan’s mobile market
6.2 3G mobile services
6.3 4G / LTE mobile services
7. Cambodia
7.1 Overview of Cambodia’s mobile market
7.2 WiMAX
7.2.1 Overview
7.2.2 Digital Star
7.3 Long term evolution (LTE) network
7.3.1 Digital Star
7.3.2 Southeast Asia Telecommunications
7.3.3 Smart Axiata
7.3.4 Seatel
7.4 AngkorNet
8. China
8.1 Market analysis
8.2 Digital networks
8.2.1 PAS/PHS (Little Smart/Xiaolingtong)
8.2.2 GSM
8.2.3 CDMA
8.2.4 Third Generation (3G) mobile
8.2.5 Fourth Generation (4G) mobile
8.3 Other infrastructure developments
8.3.1 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
8.3.2 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
8.3.3 Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
8.3.4 Pre-5G
8.3.5 NFC
8.3.6 Tower Sharing Joint Venture
8.4 IoT and M2M networks
8.4.1 China Mobile
8.4.2 China Telecom
8.4.3 China Unicom
8.5 Mobile broadband statistics
8.6 Mobile content and applications
8.6.1 Mobile internet
8.6.2 Rich Communication Services (RCS)
8.6.3 Mobile gaming
8.6.4 m-commerce
8.6.5 m-banking (payments/loans)
8.6.6 Mobile Advertising
8.6.7 m-TV
8.6.8 Apps
9. Georgia
9.1 Overview of Georgia’s mobile market
9.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
9.2.1 Background and licensing
9.2.2 3G mobile statistics
9.3 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
9.4 Mobile broadband statistics
9.5 WiMAX
10. Hong Kong
10.1 Market analysis
10.2 Mobile statistics
10.2.1 3G/4G statistics
10.2.2 Mobile data
10.3 Mobile broadband statistics
10.4 Digital networks
10.4.1 GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G
10.4.2 GSM/2G
10.4.3 Personal communications services (PCS)/2G
10.4.4 3G and High-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)
10.4.5 CDMA
10.4.6 CDMA2000
10.4.7 LTE (Long-term evolution)/4G
10.4.8 Hutchison Telekom (3)
10.5 Other infrastructure developments
10.5.1 GPRS
10.5.2 EDGE
10.5.3 Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
10.6 IoT and M2M Networks
10.7 Mobile content and applications
10.7.1 m-banking (payments/loans)
10.7.2 m-TV
11. India
11.1 Overview of India’s mobile market
11.2 GSM
11.3 CDMA
11.4 Third Generation (3G) mobile
11.4.1 Licensing process
11.4.2 Spectrum allocation
11.4.3 Auction procedure
11.4.4 Auction
11.5 Fourth Generation (4G) / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
11.5.1 Overview
11.5.2 Background
11.5.3 Reliance Jio Infocomm
11.5.4 Bharti Airtel
11.5.5 Vodafone
11.5.6 Idea Cellular
11.5.7 BSNL
11.6 Voice-over-Long Term Evolution (VoLTE)
11.7 Wireless broadband
11.7.1 WiFi
11.8 Mobile handset / smartphone / tablet market
11.8.1 Overview
11.8.2 Background
11.9 WiMAX
11.9.1 Pilot projects and early networks
11.9.2 Licensing process
11.9.3 WiMAX spectrum auctions
11.9.4 Long Term Evolution (LTE)
11.9.5 Mobile wireless
11.10 Satellite
11.11 Mobile data services
11.11.1 Market overview
11.11.2 Short Message Service (SMS)
11.11.3 i-mode
11.11.4 BlackBerry
11.11.5 Mobile TV
11.11.6 Mobile content
12. Indonesia
12.1 Overview of Indonesia’s mobile market
12.2 Mobile technologies
12.2.1 GSM
12.2.2 Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
12.3 Third Generation (3G) mobile
12.3.1 Background and initial licensing process
12.3.2 Second 3G auction
12.3.3 Launch of 3G services
12.3.4 Expansion and marketing of 3G services
12.3.5 Further auction of 3G spectrum
12.4 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE) services
12.5 Wireless broadband
12.5.1 Background
12.5.2 WiFi hotspots
12.5.3 WiMAX - background
12.5.4 LTE / Fourth Generation (4G)
12.6 Mobile data services
12.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
12.6.2 Mobile TV
12.6.3 Blackberry
12.6.4 Mobile advertising
12.6.5 Mobile banking
12.6.6 Village Phone Program (VPP)
12.6.7 M2M
12.6.8 Near Field Communication (NFC)
13. Japan
13.1 Overview
13.2 Mobile Broadband Statistics
13.3 Digital networks
13.3.1 PDC
13.3.2 CDMA
13.3.3 PHS
13.3.4 3G
13.3.5 LTE
13.3.6 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)
13.4 Other infrastructure developments
13.4.1 VoLTE
13.4.2 NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode
13.5 IoT and M2M Networks
13.6 Mobile Content and Applications
13.6.1 Introduction
13.6.2 Global Positioning System (GPS)
13.6.3 Mobile payment
13.6.4 Mobile banking
13.6.5 Mobile contactless payment (NFC)
13.6.6 Mobile advertising
13.6.7 Mobile TV and radio
13.6.8 Mobile social gaming
13.6.9 Earthquake alerts
13.6.10 Health
13.6.11 Voice Regognition
13.6.12 QR code readers
13.6.13 Environmental sensors
13.7 Mobile Handsets
13.7.1 Unlocked handsets
13.7.2 iPhone
13.7.3 iPads
14. Kazakhstan
14.1 Overview of Kazakhstan’s mobile market
14.2 Mobile technologies
14.2.1 Third Generation (3G)
14.2.2 Fourth Generation (4G) / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
14.3 WiMAX
15. Kyrgyzstan
15.1 Overview of Kazakhstan’s mobile market
15.2 Mobile technologies
15.2.1 Third Generation (3G)
15.2.2 Fourth Generation (4G) / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
15.3 WiMAX
16. Laos
16.1 Overview
16.2 Mobile broadband
16.3 Third Generation (3G) mobile services
16.4 Long Term Evolution (LTE) / 4G services
17. Macau
17.1 Overview of Macau’s mobile market
17.2 Statistics
17.3 GSM
17.4 WCDMA
17.5 LTE 4G
17.6 Push-to-Talk (PTT)
17.7 Mobile content and applications
18. Malaysia
18.1 Overview
18.2 Third Generation (3G) mobile
18.2.1 Service launch
18.3 Fourth Generation (4G) / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
18.4 Fifth Generation (5G) Network Developments
18.5 Short Message Services (SMS)
18.6 Mobile TV/Video-on-Demand (VoD)
18.7 Mobile data services
18.7.1 Short Message Services (SMS)
18.7.2 Mobile TV/Video-on-Demand (VoD)
18.7.3 Smartphones and tablets
18.8 Mobile content and applications
18.8.1 M-commerce (micropayments)
18.9 Wireless broadband
18.9.1 WiFi
18.9.2 WiMAX operators
19. Maldives
19.1 Overview of Maldives’ mobile market
19.2 Mobile technologies
19.2.1 3G
19.2.2 4G/LTE
19.3 Satellite internet
19.4 Mobile broadband
20. Mongolia
20.1 Overview of Mongolia’s mobile market
20.2 Mobile data
20.2.1 SMS and MMS
20.3 3G Services
20.4 Wi-Fi
21. Myanmar
21.1 Overview of Myanmar’s mobile market
21.2 3G development
21.3 4G development
21.4 Mobile data
21.4.1 Overview
21.4.2 m-Banking
21.5 WiMAX
22. Nepal
22.1 Overview
22.2 Third Generation (3G)
22.3 Fourth Generation (4G) / LTE
22.4 M-commerce
