LIVE FROM MWC LAS VEGAS 2022: The GSMA reached an agreement to keep its MWC North America series in the city of Las Vegas until at least 2024, as the doors officially opened for this year’s event.

In a statement announcing the key findings from its latest Mobile Economy North America Report, the GSMA expressed delight at agreeing an extension to its partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to keep the event at the venue for a further two editions.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd, said LVCVA and Las Vegas had been great partners and it was delighted to extend its partnership.

This year marks the first time the event, which is run in partnership with CTIA, has been held in Las Vegas, after editions in San Francisco and Los Angeles., with Hoffman added the GSMA was “elated” to kick off the show in a city “known for its business and technology expertise”.

Global 5G leaders
In the Mobile Economy North America Report, the GSMA stated operators taking to the stage at the event had helped power the US and Canada to become global leaders in 5G adoption.

GSMA director general Mats Granryd noted one in four mobile connections in the US is on 5G, with the technology tipped to contribute $122 billion to the nation’s economy by 2030.

In the report, the GSMA predicted 5G will account for almost two-thirds of total mobile connections by 2025, the equivalent of nearly 280 million connections.

Other key findings from the report include the North American mobile ecosystem directly generated around $300 billion of economic value, directly employed more than 850,000 people and supported another 1.4 million indirectly in 2021.

The GSMA added it expects 5G to overtake 4G in 2023 to become the dominant mobile technology in the region.

It also found more than $120 billion was invested in metaverse technology and infrastructure between January and May, compared with $57 billion in 2021.