Worldwide spending on telecom and pay TV services is expected to reach 1,532 billion dollars in 2025 from $1,507 billion in 2024, growing 1.7 percent, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker. The forecast is slightly more positive than earlier projections, reflecting a modest improvement in global market conditions.
Telecom service revenue in Americas will reach $574 billion in 2025 as compared with $568 billion in 2024.
Telecom service revenue in Asia Pacific will reach $481 billion in 2025 as compared with $476 billion in 2024.
Telecom service revenue in EMEA will reach $477 billion in 2025 as compared with $462 billion in 2024.
Mobile services will dominate global telecom spending, supported by strong data consumption and M2M applications that offset declining voice and messaging revenues.
Fixed data services will grow steadily with rising demand for high-speed connectivity, while fixed voice will keep shrinking as legacy TDM losses outpace IP voice gains.
Traditional pay TV spending is forecast to decline slightly as video-on-demand and OTT platforms gain ground, though pay TV will remain a key element of bundled offerings.
IDC projects a compound annual growth rate of 1.5 percent for the global connectivity services market through 2029. Growth will be constrained by saturation in mature markets, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. Inflation-driven revenue boosts seen in past years are expected to ease as inflation moderates.
Regionally, Asia Pacific’s outlook has been slightly downgraded due to economic uncertainty in China, Japan, and Indonesia, though India continues to outperform with strong mobile ARPU growth driving double-digit expansion.
The Americas show stable performance, with modest upward revisions in Latin America. EMEA remains the fastest-growing region in nominal terms, supported by hyperinflation in Turkey, Egypt, and Nigeria.
Telecom operators are expected to focus on margin improvement, efficiency, and monetization of new technologies. AI is playing a central role in network management, customer service, and fraud prevention, driving EBITDA gains and operational efficiencies.
By enabling predictive maintenance, automated support, and dynamic pricing, AI helps increase ARPU and reduce churn. IDC notes that AI is evolving from a productivity tool into a strategic enabler that will underpin sustainable growth in the global telecom industry.
Shafana Fazal