Mobile technologies generated $6 trillion in economic value in 2025, or 6.4% of global GDP, yet 3.4 billion people still don't use mobile internet — that's the gap the GSMA board wants the industry to close.

After meeting in New Delhi, the association set out priorities covering device affordability, scam prevention, network investment and 6G spectrum policy. The numbers frame the problem neatly. Coverage isn't the issue: 97% of the world's population lives within mobile broadband reach. Usage is.

Why do 3.4 billion people stay offline?

Handset cost, mostly. An entry-level internet-enabled phone costs the poorest 20% of people in low- and middle-income countries the equivalent of 44% of their average monthly income. A phone at nearly half a month's earnings is not an impulse purchase.

The GSMA's proposed fixes:

• device financing schemes
• targeted tax cuts
• closer cooperation between device makers and memory suppliers

None of that is new. Whether operators, chip vendors and governments actually act on it is the test.

What did the GSMA say about scams and AI?

The board flagged fraud as a growing threat, and it didn't pretend the industry can fix it solo. The GSMA stated that "no single sector can tackle the threat alone", even as operators keep strengthening network detection and cyber defence tools.

AI-generated content and deepfakes compound the problem, it added, creating risks for consumers, public trust and government objectives. The association called on the industry to "join forces to counter scams with practical solutions". Practical, presumably, as opposed to the other kind.

How much is the sector investing?

Quite a lot, on paper. Operators are projected to spend $1.2 trillion in capex between 2025 and 2030 to expand and upgrade networks. By the end of the decade, 57% of mobile connections should run on 5G.

The economic payoff could grow accordingly. The GSMA expects mobile's contribution to reach $11.3 trillion by 2030, up from $6 trillion in 2025.

GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath said the sector's next priority must be translating 5G expansion into "meaningful value", so more people can join the digital economy. "This will require sustained investment, enabling policy and collaboration across the wider ecosystem," he said.

Where does 6G spectrum stand?

The board repeated its call for global standards and harmonised spectrum as 6G work advances. The key band is upper 6GHz. Countries representing more than 80% of the world's population now support mobile use of that spectrum, which could deliver the 200MHz to 400MHz channel bandwidths 6G is expected to need.

That level of support matters. Spectrum harmony at this stage tends to decide whether a generation launches on time or arrives late and fragmented.

GSMA chair Gopal Vittal framed the stakes plainly: "by working through global standards and collaborating across markets, we can accelerate innovation, strengthen trust and resilience."

With the $1.2 trillion capex window running through 2030, and upper 6GHz backing already covering most of humanity, the association now needs its members and regulators to turn boardroom statements into spending and policy.