More than 1.5 billion new mobile connections will be added in Asia by 2017, fuelling the growth of the so-called ‘connected life’, a new report developed by PwC and GSMA released at the Mobile Asia Expo 2013 showed.
“The pervasive nature of connected devices is already transforming the way that people in the region live their lives,” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA. “Over the next five years, Asia will experience an accelerated growth in connected cars, buildings, medical monitors and a whole range of connected consumer electronics and household appliances.”
Continued collaboration between mobile operators and key players in vertical sectors is vital in further driving the disruptive and pioneering mobile services that will improve the lives of people in the region.
According to the new PwC-GSMA research, the growth of the Connected Life in Asia by 2017 has the power to:
Add up to $22 billion in economic productivity in China by reducing traffic congestion
The introduction of mobile-enabled vehicle telematics could significantly reduce traffic by reporting critical data such as location, driving speed and direction. For instance, Beijing experienced a traffic jam in 2012 that spanned over 100 kilometers and lasted more than 10 days and the average urban commute in the biggest Chinese cities is already around 80 minutes per day.
Time saved by reducing traffic through mobile services will help Chinese commuters reclaim nearly two hours of their time every week and add as much as $22 billion of economic productivity.