Wireless Telecommunications Services Industry Profile

Companies in this industry operate and maintain switching and transmission facilities to provide telecommunications services via airwaves. Major companies include AT&T, T-Mobile US, and Verizon (all based in the US), as well as América Móvil (Mexico), China Mobile (China), Deutsche Telekom (Germany), NTT DOCOMO (Japan), and Vodafone Group (UK).

Global industry revenues topped $1.03 trillion in 2019 and are expected to reach $1.14 trillion by 2025, according to GSMA Intelligence. Mobile connections worldwide total about 8.8 billion, the equivalent of more than one subscription per human. (Some people have multiple subscriptions and devices.) Top countries by number of wireless subscriptions include China, India, Indonesia, the US, and Russia, according to World Bank.

The US wireless telecommunications services industry includes about 26,000 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of more than $300 billion. The industry includes companies that operate wireless telecommunications networks and related facilities. Companies that resell wireless telecommunications services, including mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) popular in Europe and Asia, are covered in a separate industry profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

With some markets reaching saturation, competition has grown fierce as wireless telecommunications service providers fight to attract subscribers from other carriers to sustain revenue growth. Until recently, the proliferation of smartphones and tablets largely drove revenue and R&D growth. Companies can differentiate their services through pricing, network performance, customer service, and diversity of offerings, such as mobile, ...