FEATURE : MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
Report finds improvements in mobile connectivity correlate to greater impact towards sustainable development goals
GSMA ’ s recent report helps to realise the untapped potential of mobile technology whilst highlighting the industry ’ s significant role in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). The report advises mobile operators to collaborate with governments , regulators and the international community to increase the pace and scale of the sector ’ s contribution and release its untapped potential .
Countries which have achieved the biggest improvements in mobile connectivity have also typically made greater strides towards the UN 2030 Agenda , according to the GSMA ’ s Mobile Impact Report : Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ).
Asia-Pacific , for example , has seen significant scaling of mobile between 2015 – 2022 and a sharp rise in the number of unique subscribers and mobile connections . Together , the faster network speeds facilitated by the rollout of 4G and 5G technologies , the decline in prices and increase in smartphone adoption , ushered in a wave of new digital services that underpinned an uptake in the region ’ s SDG contribution .
Developed markets with higher levels of mobile connectivity , such as North America and Europe , typically achieve higher levels of SDG impact . For example , in North America , 85 % of the region ’ s population subscribe to mobile Internet services and the region ’ s 5G maturity is supporting the industry ’ s SDG contribution by spurring the use of new applications and services across different sectors ; while in Europe , over 70 % of mobile users use their devices for video calls , mobile financial services or for obtaining information on products and services , contributing to a range of SDGs .
The GSMA ’ s eighth annual SDG impact report evaluates the mobile industry ’ s progress against each goal and identifies areas where it needs to improve or
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