Asia-Pacific’s rapid march towards 4.6 billion 5G subscriptions by 2030 is not just a story of faster mobile networks; it is a marker of how the region is shaping the next phase of the global digital economy.
According to forecasts from GlobalData, 5G subscriptions in the region will grow from 2.7 billion in 2025 to 4.6 billion by the end of the decade, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.4%. On the surface, the numbers reflect familiar drivers: falling device costs, wider network rollouts and the entry of new markets such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Beneath that, however, lies a more strategic shift in how Asia-Pacific economies are using 5G as critical national infrastructure rather than just a consumer service.
“Government initiatives, enterprise digital transformation efforts, and growing demand for high-performance connectivity needed for evolving applications areas like smart manufacturing, autonomous mobility, cloud gaming, etc are accelerating standalone 5G deployments and driving 5G service adoption in the region,” said Sarwat Zeesham, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData.
Governments across the region are playing an unusually active role. Countries including China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Taiwan have articulated national 5G strategies that go beyond spectrum auctions and coverage targets. These plans typically combine public investment, regulatory incentives and close collaboration with industry to accelerate 5G adoption across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and public services. In this sense, 5G has become a policy tool to support industrial competitiveness and digital sovereignty.
China illustrates this approach at scale. The country is set to remain the world’s largest 5G market, with roughly three-quarters of all mobile subscriptions expected to be on 5G by 2029. Its rapid base station rollout, growing from about 4.2 million in 2024 to 4.6 million by September 2025, reflects not just urban demand but a deliberate push into rural areas and industrial parks. The objective is clear: embed high-performance connectivity into factories, supply chains and emerging digital services.
Elsewhere in the region, momentum is building in diverse ways. India, Malaysia and Thailand continue to expand coverage aggressively, while markets such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka are preparing for commercial launches. Combined, these developments point to Asia-Pacific consolidating its position as the world’s largest and most diverse 5G region.
This scale is also translating into significant investment commitments from telecom operators. Industry body GSMA estimates that Asia-Pacific telcos plan to invest around $254 billion in network infrastructure through 2030, with most of that capital directed towards 5G. For operators facing slowing consumer revenue growth, the bet is that 5G will unlock higher value through premium mobile plans and enterprise services such as private 5G networks.
The enterprise angle is becoming increasingly central. As GlobalData points out, demand is rising for applications that require low latency and high reliability, from smart manufacturing and autonomous mobility to cloud gaming and advanced analytics. The convergence of 5G with AI, IoT and machine-to-machine communications is creating new business models, particularly in sectors like healthcare, mining and industrial automation.
What distinguishes Asia-Pacific, however, is that some markets are already looking beyond basic deployment. South Korea, Japan and China are actively developing broader 5G ecosystems, spanning devices, platforms and applications. This ecosystem-led approach not only supports domestic technology industries but also positions these countries to influence future standards and innovations in so-called “5G+” and beyond.
“APAC has become the center of the technological race for 5G+ supremacy. South Korea, Japan, and China have gone beyond just the deployment of 5G, to the development of the wider 5G ecosystem, thereby supporting the manufacturing and IT industries in these countries and driving IoT/M2M opportunities,” said Zeeshan.
