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GSMA Intelligence Reveals Telcos Eye on $400Bn Enterprise Opportunity
A new report from GSMA Intelligence launched ahead of MWC Las Vegas shows Telcos sizing prospects for growth in financial services, manufacturing, automotive and aviation – highlighting an addressable market of more than $400bn, looking to grow revenues in the enterprise space. This equates to approximately 35% of the existing mobile operator revenue base worldwide.
The report also shows that telcos need to look beyond connectivity driven solutions and services and take a broader view of the opportunity. Core telecom solution and service areas, such as SD-WAN, unified communications and mobile voice and data, currently contribute around 70% of B2B revenues or $250bn for operators in 2023, although they offer little headroom for growth with just 3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) expected out to 2030.
Conversely, enterprise spending on tech services beyond those core services – including cloud and datacentre, cybersecurity, IoT, analytics, AI, blockchain and network APIs – is around five times the spend on traditional communications at $1.16tn in 2023, with a CAGR of 14% to 2030, growing to become a market worth $2.91tn.
Tim Hatt, Head of Research, GSMA Intelligence, said: “Telcos looking to monetise their investments in 5G need to look beyond consumer centric and basic connectivity driven use cases. Greater focus is needed on offering advanced network solutions such as network slicing and private networks in the short term and developing end-to-end solutions to support a variety of enterprise use cases combined with integration capabilities in the longer term.
“Enterprises are increasingly looking for service providers to integrate a blend of technologies that fit their specific technology environments and business needs. Though the competition is fierce, telcos have assets and capabilities they can leverage to play in over one-third of this trillion-dollar market.”
Manufacturing and financial services offer biggest opportunities
The report highlights characteristics of four key verticals: financial services, manufacturing, automotive and aviation.
In 2023, these sectors presented significant addressable opportunities for telcos, valued at $59 billion, $61 billion, $22 billion and $16 billion respectively. Collectively, they accounted for 37% of the total addressable market opportunity, amounting to $159 billion. Projections indicate robust growth for these markets, with expected CAGR of 10.9%, 12.1%, 12.0%, and 8.4% from 2023 to 2030.
Other markets comprised 63% of the telcos’ growing addressable enterprise tech services beyond core opportunity. This growth is driven by diverse verticals, including healthcare, public sector, retail, media, smart cities, energy and utilities, agriculture, oil & gas, transportation & logistics, professional services, personal & consumer services, mining and ports.
Jo Gilbert, Technical Director and GSMA Connected Manufacturing and Production lead, said: “To bolster operational efficiency, resilience, agility, and flexibility, manufacturing companies are investing in advanced connectivity, IoT, edge, and AI technologies.
“These innovations are generating massive data volumes across factories, requiring stronger data management capabilities to unlock business value. Furthermore, the growing convergence of IT and OT systems has expanded cyberattack surfaces, making cybersecurity a key priority for manufacturers.”
Telcos must be prepared to compete with a diverse array of players
To meet the demands of the market, operators face significant competition not only from their peers and equipment vendors, but also from a broad array of players, including hyperscalers and security vendors. In fact, 24% of operators view hyperscalers as formidable competitors in edge networking and cloud, while 41% view security vendors as key competitors in security.
Operators must invest in building new capabilities, enhancing their existing offerings in key areas like security and exploring partnerships in others such as cloud. By balancing internal investments with external partnerships, operators can remain competitive, optimize resources, and meet the evolving demands of the market.
Hatt continues: “Winning in market needs a new mindset and operational changes. To succeed operators must look to collaborative approaches and new partnerships as well as adopting an enterprise-centric solution-oriented approach; being more like IT consultants than connectivity sellers. Telcos need to consolidate and simplify enterprise portfolios, adapt sales and marketing, and acquire new technical and commercial skills to effectively serve ever-evolving needs of enterprise customers.”
Services beyond connectivity are gaining ground
The latest research tracks with earlier findings from GSMA Intelligence’s “Enterprise Opportunity 2024” survey, published in March 2024, where 36% of the operators said market leadership in enterprise connectivity and services is the primary goal of their B2B strategy; with leadership in enterprise connectivity second.
Historically, connectivity has received the highest share in previous editions of this survey. This is the first time operators have identified connectivity and services as their primary goal.
Furthermore, a majority (64%) of participants said they have already launched 5G services beyond connectivity for enterprises such as 5G IoT, private networks and Mobile Edge Compute. This signals a shift in focus towards services and the need to be good at bundling connectivity with services fit for enterprise needs.
New enterprise survey to be previewed at MWC Las Vegas 2024
As part of our participation at MWC Las Vegas 2024, GSMA Intelligence will be offering an exclusive preview of the forthcoming GSMA Intelligence Digital Transformation Survey 2024 results at the GSMA Pavilion in the exhibition hall, booth 557 — one month prior to the official launch. The survey, conducted with over 4,200 enterprises across 10 vertical sectors and 21 countries, provides a deep dive into digital transformation trends across key sectors such as manufacturing and financial services.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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