by Jacob Howell
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. It was truly inspiring to see over 100,000 professionals gather to share ideas on how to connect more people around the world and improve their quality of life through innovative technologies. Each year, our industry gets closer to the goal of making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to communicate with anyone else at any time.
The Economic Power of Mobile Communications
One of the most striking reports I came across was from the GSMA, which highlighted that mobile technologies and services generated $6.5 trillion in global economic value last year, accounting for 5.8% of global GDPi. By 2030, the value could further increase to $11 trillion, or 8.4% of GDP, as internet and phone services become available to more of the world’s population. Despite mobile services covering 95% of the globe, 3.1 billion people remain unconnected to the rest of the world. Bridging this gap represents a significant economic opportunity for our industry.
After attending MWC, it became evident to me that our industry is actively working towards seizing this opportunity. Here are some key insights I gathered.
Key Insights from MWC 2025
1. Growth of 5G Networks
- The GSMA forecasts 5G connections to rise from 1.6 billion to over 5.5 billion by 2030, representing 56% of global connections. This growth is driven by increasing 5G service launches.
- Operators are expected to invest $1.5 trillion in 5G networks over the next 5 years, driven by use cases like smart cities, autonomous vehicles, AR/VR, efficient network management, and Generative AI (GenAI).
Currently, 261 operators in 101 countries have launched commercial 5G services, with another 151 operators in 63 countries preparing to launch their 5G SA networks.
2. Monetizing GenAI
- GenAI monetization is a key focus, but challenges exist in extracting and normalizing data from legacy BSS/OSS systems.
- Modern technologies like micro-services and cloud services can help, and 5G’s capabilities make it a compelling use case for GenAI.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has become a buzzword in the industry. While many operators experimented with GenAI through 2024, in 2025 they began finding ways to monetize it. However, unlocking the true value of GenAI remains a significant challenge for many due to the need to extract and normalize data out of their legacy BSS/OSS systems. Modern technologies like micro-services and scalable cloud services can help, but many companies still lack the necessary in-house expertise. Nevertheless, since GenAI requires significant computational resources, bandwidth, and low latency—all things supported by 5G, many operators are anticipating it will become the compelling use case to justify building out their 5G networks.
3. Space Race for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)
- Lower LEO satellite launch costs are driving NTN growth, with companies like Amazon and Starlink extending network reach.
- 5G phones with direct-to-satellite capability are increasing, raising living standards through access to education, eHealth, and mobile money.
The dawn of a new space race, driven by the decreasing cost of launching low earth orbit satellites, has enabled more than 20 non-terrestrial network (NTN) operators to launch services. Companies like Amazon, AST SpaceMobile, Intelsat, ViaSat, HughesNet, Echostar, Eutesalat, and Starlink (SpaceX) are helping operators extend their networks beyond their traditional footprints. By reaching areas that are too expensive for terrestrial networks, these operators can acquire more subscribers, while also reducing churn. Interestingly, more than 50% of all phones are now 5G, with direct-to-satellite capability. As more people gain access to 5G phones, the standard of living will be raised for hundreds of millions of people by providing access to education, eHealth services, and mobile money services.
4. The Rise of eSIMs
- 2024 saw new eSIM standards (SGP.32 v1.2), expected to drive growth in eSIM-enabled devices.
- The GSMA predicts 1 billion eSIM smartphone connections in 2025, with 50% of smartphones eSIM-enabled by 2028.
- eSIMs present security and revenue challenges.
2024 marked a significant milestone for eSIMs, with the industry formally adopting a new set of standards (SGP.32 v1.2). These standards are expected to usher in a new era of growth for eSIM-enabled devices, including smartphones, cars, industrial machines, remote sensors, and IoT devices. The GSMA predicts that one billion eSIM smartphone connections will be activated in 2025, with 50% of all smartphones being eSIM-enabled by 2028.
While the creation, distribution, and provisioning of eSIMs require fewer resources than physical SIMs, it remains uncertain whether eSIMs will lead to increased churn rates or decreased roaming revenues for operators. Additionally, the impact of eSIM migration on international SIM box fraud is yet to be determined. As a digital asset that can be easily acquired and activated over the internet, eSIMs could potentially be exploited by fraudsters to escalate their fraudulent operations.
5. Monetizing APIs
- The GSMA Open Gateway initiative is gaining traction, with 239 operator networks signed up.
- APIs for fraud and security, like SIM Swap, Number Verify, and Device Location, are most popular.
- This initiative opens 300 billion in market opportunity.
Marking one year after the GSMA Open Gateway initiative was unveiled, 239 operator networks from 47 mobile operator groups, representing 65% of connections worldwide, have now signed up. The objective of the GSMA Open Gateway is to ensure digital services and applications integrate seamlessly with networks globally via standard application programmable interfaces (APIs). The business case for adopting standard APIs across the industry is compelling: build it once and then it can be sold and utilized worldwide. Operators who expose their network APIs and innovations to enterprise developers and cloud providers are forecasted to unlock an additional $300 billion in market opportunity over the next 5 years.
However, to date, 94 APIs from 40 operator networks have been made commercially available to enterprise developers in 21 markets across APAC, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. With fraud and security being one of the biggest issues facing mobile operators, APIs related to fraud and security have garnered the most traction so far. The most popular APIs include SIM Swap, Number Verify, and Device Location.
6. New Fraud Vectors: Security Challenges at MWC 2025:
- 5G, GenAI, NTN, eSIMs, and APIs, while beneficial, create new fraud opportunities.
- Increased bandwidth, AI-powered scams, flexible NTN access, easy eSIM activation, and standardized APIs pose security risks.
- It is vital to collaborate and share information on security threats.
While 5G, Generative AI (GenAI), Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), eSIMs, and APIs have the potential to connect hundreds of millions of people and services around the world, they also present new opportunities for misuse. For instance, the increased bandwidth and speed associated with 5G networks can lead to more severe fraud incidents in the future. Generative AI technologies, like FraudGTP, can empower fraudsters to develop even more effective scam messages. NTN networks provide greater flexibility for fraudsters to access telecom services and set up fraud operations anywhere in the world. Criminals can leverage eSIMs to resume operations immediately after being detected and blocked. Finally, as our industry becomes increasingly reliant on API-driven services, standardized APIs can make it easier for criminals to steal valuable information from operators globally.
To combat these challenges, it is crucial that we continue collaborating and sharing information on the latest security threats and trends affecting our industry. This is why LATRO is an active member of the GSMA Fraud and Security Group (FASG), the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA) and Fraud Intelligence Limited’s blockchain, underscoring our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving challenges of fraud in both the telecom and fintech sectors. Through the blockchain, LATRO has access to a vast and dynamic database of fraud intelligence, including more than 2 million fraud identifiers and over 200,000 new fraud data points contributed monthly, growing across a global footprint of 150 countries.
By covering both emerging and established fraud vectors, the Fraud Intelligence Blockchain ensures that all parties will have access to real-time, high-quality data, enabling more precise detection, prevention and response. FIL also enables regulators and telcos to obtain fraud trend insights in real-time, providing actionable insights for policy enforcement and industry-wide fraud mitigation.
Fraudsters are innovating every day, and that means as an industry, the good of the users and the community can be equated with the interest of any telco or vendor. It’s in a legitimate interest for all parties.
To learn more about how LATRO can protect your business from these new fraud vectors, please view our solutions page or contact us for more information.
About Jacob Howell
Jacob Howell, Director of Strategy at LATRO, combines a strong technical expertise with deep industry insight to shape the company’s strategic direction. His expertise in telecom Fraud & Risk Management, Revenue Assurance, and Data Analytics has enabled him to design and implement solutions that deliver substantial financial benefits to service providers.
He is a key industry contributor, previously serving on the CFCA Board of Directors and authoring their Global Telecom Fraud Loss Survey.
Ready to leverage AI and innovative solutions to protect your revenue and customers? Discover LATRO’s offerings today.
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