5G Economy to Generate $13.2 Trillion in Sales Enablement by 2035
November 8, 2019 | Qualcomm IncorporatedEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., announced new study findings, forecasting that 5Gwill generate $13.2 trillion in sales enablement* by 2035. The IHS Markit 5GEconomy Study, commissioned by Qualcomm Technologies Inc., shows an increase of $1 trillion in 5G sales enablement by 2035 over the original forecast released in 2017 which estimated $12.3 trillion.
IHS Markit correlated this increase in large part due to the early completion of the initial 5G standard and the subsequent accelerated rollout. As noted at the Qualcomm 5G Summit in October, there are now more than 30 live 5G networks and more than 40 OEMs launching 5G-enabled devices, making it the fastest ever rollout of a cellular technology generation.
Additional key predictions from the study show:
- The global 5G value chain will support 22.3 million jobs in 2035. This is 3.4 times as many jobs as a similar level of economic output supports today
- The global 5G value chain will invest an average of $235B annually to continue to expand and strengthen the 5G technology base. This figure represents nearly 80% of the total US federal, state and local government spending on transportation infrastructure in 2017
- The U.S. is forecasted to lead in cellular R&D and capital expenditures in the 5G mobile value chain with 27% average annual investment, followed closely by China at 26%
“As I look back on the industry’s achievements over the past year, it is astounding the progress we have made in accelerating the rollout of 5G around the world,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “I’m extremely proud to work for a company that makes big bets, early on, in laying the foundation for technologies as significant as 5G that will transform industries and enrich lives.”
“Like electricity and the steam engine before it, IHS Markit views 5G as a catalyst that will thrust mobile technology into the exclusive realm of General-Purpose Technology,” said Bob Flanagan, economics consulting director, IHS Markit. “The profound effects arising from these innovations range widely, from the positive impacts for human and machine productivity to ultimately elevating the living standards for people around the world.”
Suggested Items
2025 ASEAN IT Spending Growth Slows to 5.9% as AI-Powered IT Expansion Encounters Post-Boom Normalization
06/26/2025 | IDCAccording to the IDC Worldwide Black Book: Live Edition, IT spending across ASEAN is projected to grow by 5.9% in 2025 — down from a robust 15.0% in 2024.
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
United Electronics Corporation Advances Manufacturing Capabilities with Schmoll MDI-ST Imaging Equipment
06/24/2025 | United Electronics CorporationUnited Electronics Corporation has successfully installed the advanced Schmoll MDI-ST (XL) imaging equipment at their advanced printed circuit board facility. This significant technology investment represents a continued commitment to delivering superior products and maintaining their position as an industry leader in precision PCB manufacturing.
Insulectro & Dupont Host Technology Symposium at Silicon Valley Technology Center June 25
06/22/2025 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, and DuPont, a major manufacturer of flex laminates and chemistry, invite fabricators, OEMS, designers, and engineers to attend an Innovation Symposium – Unlock the Power - this Wednesday, June 25, at DuPont’s Silicon Valley Technology Center in Sunnyvale, CA.
OKI, NTT Innovative Devices Establish Mass Production Technology for High-Power Terahertz Devices by Heterogeneous Material Bonding
06/21/2025 | BUSINESS WIREOKI, in collaboration with NTT Innovative Devices Corporation, has established mass production technology for high-power terahertz devices using crystal film bonding (CFB) technology for heterogeneous material bonding to bond indium phosphide (InP)-based uni-traveling carrier photodiodes (UTC-PD) onto silicon carbide (SiC) with excellent heat dissipation characteristics for improved bonding yields.