1、Copyright 2019 GSM AssociationThe Mobile EconomyPacific Islands2019The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operatorsworldwide,uniting more than 750 operators with nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem,including handset and device makers,software companies,equipment providers and i
2、nternet companies,as well asorganisations in adjacent industry sectors.The GSMA alsoproduces the industry-leading MWC events held annually inBarcelona,Los Angeles and Shanghai,as well as the Mobile360 Series of regional conferences.For more information,please visit the GSMA corporate website at Foll
3、ow the GSMA on Twitter:GSMAGSMA Intelligence is the definitive source of global mobile operator data,analysis and forecasts,and publisher of authoritative industry reports and research.Our data covers every operator group,network and MVNO in every country worldwide from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.It is
4、 the most accurate and complete set of industry metrics available,comprising tens of millions of individual data points,updated daily.GSMA Intelligence is relied on by leading operators,vendors,regulators,financial institutions and third-party industry players,to support strategic decision-making an
5、d long-term investment planning.The data is used as an industry reference point and is frequently cited by the media and by the industry itself.Our team of analysts and experts produce regular thought-leading research reports across a range of industry ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY21INDUSTRY OVERVIEW81.
6、1Mobile market:ongoing shift to mobile broadband91.2Market structure:challenges of fragmentation and lack of scale111.3Financials:modest growth out to 2025132MOBILE AS A PLATFORM FOR ADDRESSING SOCIAL CHALLENGES AND EMPOWERING CONSUMERS162.1Enabling life-enhancing digital services172.2Mobile interne
7、t delivering digital inclusion182.3Enabling innovation for socioeconomic impact222.4Mobile helping boost financial inclusion243HARNESSING SPECTRUM AND REGIONAL COLLABORATION263.1The importance of spectrum and WRC-19273.2The importance of collaboration and harmonising regulation29Executive SummaryThe
8、 Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Executive Summary2The ongoing shift to mobile broadband and digital transformationInfrastructure challenges remainMobile technology can play a pivotal role in the digital transformation of the Pacific Islands,enabling access to life-enhancing services in areas suc
9、h as health and education,while proving a catalyst for innovation and economic growth,with the promise of new jobs and increased tax revenues.The Pacific Islands region is seeing only modest mobile subscriber growth at a time when subscriber penetration rates remain well below regional and global de
10、veloped-market averages.Although 38%of the population subscribed to a mobile service as at the end of 2018,this trails the average for least developed countries(44%).Within the region,there is significant variation in the development of local mobile markets;subscriber penetration rates range from a
11、high of 84%in Fiji to a low of just 11%in the Marshall Islands.Papua New Guinea is by some way the most populous country in the region;with a subscriber penetration rate of 30%,it is home to the majority of the unconnected population across the region.Operators are investing to improve LTE network c
12、overage and speeds.4G connections are set to account for more than half of total connections by 2023,doubling the figure from the end of 2018.The shift to mobile broadband and 4G also reflects the increasing rates of smartphone adoption.From just 30%of connections at the end of 2018,this is forecast
13、 to more than double to 65%by 2025,helped by declines in smartphone prices and the emergence of new,low-cost smartphone vendors.Faster network speeds and more advanced devices are key to bringing populations online.At the end of 2018,mobile internet penetration in the Pacific Islands was the lowest
14、of any region in the world,at just 18%of the population.This figure will grow over the coming years,but by 2025 only a third of the population will have mobile internet access.This will leave more than 9 million people across the region offline,limiting their ability to participate in the digital ec
15、onomy and take advantage of the opportunities it can offer.Many countries in the region face issues around infrastructure one of the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Indexs four key enablers of mobile internet and a contributor to the connectivity gap in the region.Factors behind this challenge include the
16、fact that numerous countries have yet to complete the digital switchover process and are therefore yet to allocate spectrum in the digital dividend band(700 MHz)to mobile services.In addition,the scarcity of international internet bandwidth is a key limiting factor only gradually being addressed as
17、new submarine cables improve connectivity.There is growing support for innovation across the region,with the emergence of new tech hubs and a developing ecosystem of entrepreneurs and new ventures looking to adapt emerging technologies such as blockchain to the particular challenges of the Pacific I
18、slands.Most islands still lack properly developed innovation ecosystems due to the limited size of the individual markets,the complexity of developing sound infrastructure between the archipelagos,and the significant leverage of larger regional hubs in Asia Pacific.The Mobile Economy Pacific Islands
19、 2019Executive Summary3To unlock the full potential of existing and future mobile networks,access to sufficient spectrum for better coverage and capacity is a necessity.When licensing spectrum,the priority for governments and regulators should be to support affordable,high-quality mobile services.On
20、e of the best opportunities for collaboration is the World Radiocommunication Conference of the ITU.At WRC-19,the future success of 5G is at stake,since the decision for mmWave bands will be taken at the conference.This is not just for countries where 5G is rolling out in the next couple of years,bu
21、t for everyone.The spectrum assignment process is a long-term effort.Spectrum identified at WRC-19 can be used for decades to come:it is important to shape 5G today.The GSMA recently published a report on the socio-economic benefits of 5G services provided in mmWave bands.Rolling out 5G using mmWave
22、 is an opportunity to radically reshape services such as ultra-high speed broadband,industrial automation and intelligent transport systems.It can help provide access to better healthcare,move virtual and augmented services to the mainstream,and improve public safety.While the Pacific Islands region
23、 might not be one of the first to roll out 5G services,supporting an IMT identification during WRC-19 offers regulators the flexibility to make mmWave spectrum available for mobile services if and when needed.This additional flexibility will allow the Pacific Islands to benefit from a mature ecosyst
24、em and massive economies of scale to see 5G develop in the same way as LTE has done in the region.New submarine cables with improved capacity and other technical advancements are setting the stage for advanced broadband services,including 5G.There are several common themes to the challenges of addre
25、ssing the digital divide in the region,including access to internet connectivity,financial services and other Unlocking the full potential of mobileFinancial inclusion remains a challenge across all areas of the Pacific Islands.However,initiatives at a regional and country level have made some progr
26、ess in recent years.The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme(PFIP)was launched in 2008 and has funded 44 projects with financial service providers who have innovated with technology and products,in the process helping more than 2 million Pacific Islanders access formal financial services.Mobile has
27、 a key role to play in facilitating the adoption of financial services in many developing regions.Today there are a total of nine live mobile money services available to the unbanked in six different countries across the Pacific region:two in Fiji,three in Papua New Guinea and one in each of Samoa,t
28、he Solomon Islands,Tonga and Vanuatu.There are high levels of registration on some islands:51%of the combined adult population of Fiji,Samoa,Solomon Islands and Tonga have a mobile money account.However,activity levels remain low,with less than 10%of these accounts currently active.Mobile helping to
29、 boost financial inclusionThe Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Executive Summary4life-enhancing digital products and services.The often challenging natural environment and topography are limiting factors on the provision of mobile coverage or access to other basic services,while low population den
30、sities and relatively modest population totals mean operators and other ecosystem players often struggle to scale new services and deployments in a cost-effective manner.Addressing these will require collaboration between players from across the mobile ecosystem,as well as a supportive regulatory an
31、d policy environment that encourages investment and innovation.A number of bodies including the World Bank and the GSMA are highlighting the importance of collaboration and harmonisation in various areas of both telecoms and broader ICT regulation.The ITU has previously suggested that the Pacific Is
32、lands could become a showcase for developing a collaborative framework a call that resonates beyond just the mobile sector to encompass all developmental initiatives in the region.The goal of increased collaboration is one that all players in the Pacific Islands should support with the aim of increa
33、sing connectivity and realising the potential of the digital economy.The Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Executive Summary5Pacific Islands Unique mobile subscribersSIMconnectionsRevenuesExcluding cellular IoT5.9m7.5m4.5m5.8m38%3.7%Mobile internetusers2.1m4.4mPENETRATION RATE2018201820182018202520
34、252025$1.14bn$1.22bn3.5%CAGR201825CAGR201825CAGR20182511.1%(%of population)44%50%PENETRATION RATE(%of population)57%2025CAGR 2018-202518%PENETRATION RATE(%of population)33%1.0%GuamNorthernMarianaAmericanSamoaNiueCook Is.TokelauNew CaledoniaCocos(Keeling)IslandsWallis&FutunaNorfolk IslandFrench Polyn
35、esiaPALAUFEDERATED STATESOF MICRONESIAPAPUA NEWGUINEASOLOMONISLANDSVANUATUFIJINAURUTUVALUSAMOATONGAKIRIBATIMARSHALLISLANDSMICRONESIAPOLYNESIAPopulation(000)Unique subscribers(000)Connections(000)Subscriber penetrationAmerican Samoa*56304055%Cocos(Keeling)Islands0.60.20.338%Cook Islands175.6632%Fiji9
36、157701,19284%French Polynesia*28716329456%Guam*16610917965%Kiribati119225619%Marshall Islands536611%Micronesia(Federated States)107182417%Nauru1171161%New Caledonia*28218627666%Niue1.611.558%Norfolk Island*211.647%Northern Mariana Islands*55233541%Palau22152667%Papua New Guinea8,5022,5252,73430%Samo
37、a1989314247%Solomon Islands62931045949%Tokelau*1.31152%Tonga1096811062%Tuvalu113424%Vanuatu28516333057%Wallis And Futuna Islands*116850%Source:GSMA Intelligence*Dependent territories rather than independent statesThe Pacific Islands2018The Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Executive Summary701 Indu
38、stry overviewThe Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Industry overview8Mobile market milestones for the Pacific IslandsFigure 1Source:GSMA Intelligence1.1 Mobile market:ongoing shift to mobile broadbandThe Pacific Islands region is seeing only modest subscriber growth at a time when penetration rates
39、 remain well below regional and global developed-market averages.Although 38%of the population subscribed to a mobile service at the end of 2018,this trails the broader south-east Asia Pacific regional average(68%).The gap will remain largely unchanged by the end of the forecast period:by 2025,the P
40、acific Islands will have seen only a modest increase in penetration rates to reach 44%of the population.UNIQUESUBSCRIBERSDEVICESTECHNOLOGYMOBILE INTERNET USERS4.5 million38%of population5.8 million44%of population2.1 million18%of population4.4 million33%of populationSmartphones=30%of total connectio
41、ns4.9 million smartphone connections4G close to 60%of total connectionsMobile broadband over half of total connectionsEarly 5G launches in select markets19,000 5G connections201820202025The Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Industry overview9Subscriber penetration in the Pacific IslandsSource:GSMA
42、IntelligenceFigure 2MillionsWithin the region,subscriber penetration rates range from a high of 84%in Fiji to a low of just 11%in the Marshall Islands.Papua New Guinea is by some way the most populous country in the region.Its current subscriber penetration rate of 30%means it is home to the majorit
43、y of the unconnected population across the region.Connecting these still unconnected populations remains the key challenge for operators and other industry stakeholders in the region,including governments and regulators.The region is seeing an ongoing shift to mobile broadband connections(3G and 4G
44、capable devices),which by the end of 2018 already account for more than half the connections base.4G alone is set to account for over half of total connections by 2023 more than doubling the figure from the end of 2018.There are now 34 LTE networks in service across the region.Most recently,Tuvalu T
45、elecom launched on the island of Tuvalu in 2018.Operators are continuing to invest in expanding their existing networks,in terms of coverage and network speeds.For example,Vodafone Fiji announced in 2018 its plans to invest FJD207 million($98.6 million)in the upgrade of its mobile networks,with the
46、goal of raising 4G+coverage to more than 90%of the population.Around 100 existing 3G cell sites will be converted to LTE-A technology,while a further 244 new sites will be developed to increase 4G coverage and network speeds.Similarly,Digicel announced a$50 million plan to improve LTE-A coverage for
47、 key population areas in Fiji.5.85.2Unique subscribersSubscriber penetration7,06,05,04,03,02,01,00,0201420192022202535.4%38.3%41.2%43.8%4.04.6The Mobile Economy Pacific Islands 2019Industry overview10Migration to mobile broadbandSource:GSMA IntelligenceFigure 3Percentage of total connectionsThe shif
48、t to mobile broadband reflects the increasing rates of smartphone adoption.From just 30%of connections at the end of 2018,smartphone adoption is forecast to more than double to reach 65%by 2025.The average selling price of smartphones fell below$120 in many low-income markets around the world in 201
49、8.There is also a growing range of sub-$100 smartphones,mostly from Asian manufacturers such as Gionee and Tecno.Other innovative new players looking to bring more affordable devices to low-income populations include the Australian company MINTT.The company launched its first devices in Papua New Gu
50、inea in late 2017,priced below many feature phones while offering a device that is 4G compatible and has a full metal case,fingerprint scanner and glass screen.2G3G4G5G100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%20162017201820192020202120222023202420251.2 Market structure:challenges of fragmentation and lack o
