China’s mobile technology sector is driving unprecedented economic growth, with 5G adoption rapidly transforming the nation’s digital landscape. A new GSMA report highlights how mobile technologies will contribute $2 trillion to China’s economy by 2030, representing 8.3% of GDP, with manufacturing expected to account for 40% of this economic impact. This acceleration demonstrates how advanced mobile infrastructure is becoming a cornerstone of China’s economic strategy and provides insights into one of the world’s most advanced digital ecosystems.
The big picture: China has already surpassed 1 billion 5G connections in 2024, with adoption rates projected to reach 88% by the end of the decade.
- Mobile technologies and services generated $1.2 trillion of economic value in 2024, equivalent to 6.2% of China’s GDP.
- 5G already accounts for more than half of all mobile connections in China, positioning the country as a global leader in next-generation mobile technology deployment.
Behind the numbers: The manufacturing sector is expected to be the primary beneficiary, driving 40% of the projected $2 trillion economic impact by 2030.
- Nearly 4.2 million 5G base stations were already operational across China as of January 2025.
- Chinese operators are forecast to invest $219 billion in mobile capital expenditure between 2024 and 2030 to support this growth.
What they’re saying: “China continues to show how advanced 5G services, mobile innovation, AI and digital services can have real economic impact,” stated Vivek Badrinath, director general of the GSMA.
- Badrinath emphasized that 5G is “the cornerstone for the mobile industry’s trillion-dollar contribution to China’s GDP today.”
Key trends: Mobile internet usage and data consumption are set to increase dramatically over the next five years.
- Mobile internet users are expected to grow from 1.17 billion to 1.22 billion by 2030, increasing penetration from 80% to 84%.
- Mobile data traffic is projected to quadruple by 2030, reaching almost 70GB per mobile connection per month.
What’s next: Chinese operators are increasingly focusing on AI-powered enterprise solutions using advanced 5G networks.
- While early AI deployments centered on internal improvements like network fault detection, there’s a growing shift toward developing enterprise-focused solutions.
- The combination of 5G-Advanced networks and AI capabilities is creating new business opportunities across multiple sectors.
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