2023MobileIndustryImpactReport:SustainableDevelopmentGoalsSeptember2023SummaryReportTheGSMAisaglobalorganisationunifyingthemobileecosystemtodiscover,developanddeliverinnovationfoundationaltopositivebusinessenvironmentsandsocietalchange.Ourvisionistounlockthefullpowerofconnectivitysothatpeople,industryandsocietythrive.Representingmobileoperatorsandorganisationsfromacrossthemobileecosystemandadjacentindustries,theGSMAdeliversforitsmembersacrossthreebroadpillars:IndustryServicesandSolutions,ConnectivityforGood,andOutreach.Thisactivityincludesunderpinningthetechnologyandinteroperabilitythatmakemobilework,advancingpolicy,tacklingtoday’sbiggestsocietalchallengesandprovidingtheworld’slargestplatformtoconvenethemobileecosystemattheMWCandM360seriesofevents.Weinviteyoutofindoutmoreatgsma.com.FollowtheGSMAonX:@GSMAGSMAIntelligenceisthedefinitivesourceofglobalmobileoperatordata,analysisandforecastsandthepublisherofauthoritativeindustryreportsandresearch.Ourdatacoverseveryoperatorgroup,networkandMVNOineverycountryworldwide—fromAfghanistantoZimbabwe.Itisthemostaccurateandcompletesetofindustrymetricsavailable,comprisingtensofmillionsofindividualdatapoints,updateddaily.GSMAIntelligenceisreliedonbyleadingoperators,vendors,regulators,financialinstitutionsandthird-partyindustryplayerstosupportstrategicdecision-makingandlong-terminvestmentplanning.Thedataisusedasanindustryreferencepointandisfrequentlycitedbythemediaandbytheindustryitself.Ourteamofanalystsandexpertsproduceregularthought-leadingresearchreportsacrossarangeofindustrytopics.gsmaintelligence.cominfo@gsmaintelligence.comToseethefullversionofthereportonline,pleasescantheQRcodeForewords1.Executivesummary102.Mobile’simpactontheSDGsatthehalfwaypoint163.Lookingaheadto2030284.Finalreflection:unlockingthepotentialofmobile32ContentsForewordsThisyearmarkstheeighthyearsincethemobileindustrydemonstrateditscommitmenttosustainabledevelopment,becomingthefirstindustrytocommittothe17UNSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).Aswereachthehalfwaypointforachievingthesegoals,nowistheperfecttimeforthemobileindustrytoreflectonourachievements,examinethecurrentchallengesandsetoursightsontheopportunitiesthatlieahead.In2015,whentheworldadoptedthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment,themobileindustry’saverageSDGimpactscorestoodat33,achieving33%ofwhatitcouldpotentiallycontributetotheSDGs.MatsGranrydDirectorGeneral,GSMAFastforwardto2022,andourindustry’saverageimpactscoreacrossthe17SDGsroseto53,demonstratingsignificantprogress.Notably,wehavewitnessedsubstantialimprovementsincontributionstoSDG4:QualityEducation,SDG6:CleanWaterandSanitation,andSDG7:AffordableandCleanEnergy.Theseadvancementscanbeattributedtotheincreasingnumberofpeoplewhorelyonmobiletechnologytoaccesseducationalresources,usegovernmentservicesandmanagetheirbills.Themobileindustry’sbiggestimpactcontinuestobeinSDG9:Industry,InnovationandInfrastructure,drivenbythewidespreadreachofmobilenetworks,investmentsin5Gandinfrastructureandthegrowinguptakeofmobileinternetservices.Overthepastsevenyears,closeto2billionmorepeoplehavegainedaccesstotheinternetthroughtheirmobilephones.Thissignificantconnectivityachievementhasbroughtusclosertobridgingthedigitaldivideandempoweringindividualswiththeresourcestheyneedtothrive.Wehavealsomadesignificantprogressinexpandingmobilebroadbandcoverage.Bytheendof2022,95%oftheglobalp...