In this article, we will take a look at The 15 largest mobile phone companies in the world. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to watch The 5 largest mobile phone companies in the world.
To say that the mobile phone and telecommunications industry has evolved significantly over the past few decades, and especially in the last decade, would be a massive understatement. Although it was definitely not the first smartphone, when the iPhone was first launched in 2007, smartphones were considered the exception rather than the norm. 15 years later, smartphones have taken the world by storm, with estimates suggesting that more than 6 billion people own a smartphone, a number no one would have predicted in 2007.
With the rise of smartphones and global connectivity, the telecom industry has also grown. While GPRS was the only form of internet available in the early days of cell phones, you’d be lucky to open Google after a few minutes of effort. Now, 5G is taking the world by storm and the telecom sector is focusing on additional wireless and fiber deployment to meet ever-increasing customer demand. There has also been an increasing focus on multi-access edge computing not to mention private mobile networks as the market continues to gain momentum. Although this market is still relatively new, competition is increasing even as the market continues to expand.
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Another factor that the telecommunications sector must consider is the ever-increasing risk of cyber security, which is leaving customers vulnerable. This is especially true for 5G, which, while it continues to expand, brings with it a host of issues and concerns about vulnerability to hackers. That’s one of the reasons why investors are flocking to cybersecurity stocks. Meanwhile, cell phone manufacturers are also now starting to produce cell phones that are compatible with 5G, although generally this is only true for the flagship series of most cell phone models.
According to Grand View Research, the global telecom industry was worth about $1.7 trillion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2028. The number of mobile subscribers is on the rise, and since the pandemic, this number has skyrocketed . With the pandemic confining most people to their homes and the acceptance of working from home increasing to an unprecedented level, communication has largely taken place through internet connections and mobile phones as opposed to face-to-face meetings, which has resulted in a additional benefit. for the world’s largest mobile phone companies (see 10 Best Telecom Dividend Stocks to Buy).
To determine the largest mobile phone companies in the world, we decided to examine the biggest names in the industry, based on their Fortune Global 500 ranking. We then considered total revenue, total profit, total assets and number of employees for each company. Then we assigned a 40% weight to income and profit, while a 20% weight to total assets and the number of employees. Based on the aforementioned criteria, we then created the composite ranking for the largest mobile phone companies in the world. We used multiple criteria, not just one, to arrive at the most accurate possible rankings. So let’s take a look at the companies that have dominated the industry, starting with number 15:
15. Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN)
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 50,275
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 276
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 122,877
Total number of employees: 139,698
Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN) is a French multinational telecommunications company. Among the services offered by Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN) are landline services, internet, IPTV and of course mobile. While originally known as France Télécom, Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN) was renamed to its current name in 2013.
14. KDDI
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 48,486
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 5,986
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 91,297
Total number of employees: 48,829
One of three Japanese companies on our list of the world’s largest mobile phone companies, one of KDDI’s key achievements is working with five other companies to build a 60 Tbit/s undersea data transmission cable that connected Japan to United States. The cable began operation in 2016.
13. China United Network Communications
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 50,828
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 978
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 93,400
Total number of employees: 242,661
One of the three Chinese companies on the list, China United Network Communications is a state-owned telecom operator in China and offers various services including Internet services, local calls, data communications, long distance and mobile networks.
12. Telefónica
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 46,439
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 9,621
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 124,175
Total number of employees: 104 150
One of the biggest mobile phone companies in Europe, Telefónica is a Spanish company that boasts many big brands such as O2, Vivo and Movistar.
11. América Móvil, SAB de CV (NYSE:AMX)
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 49,702
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 9,490
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 82,588
Total number of employees: 181,205
América Móvil, SAB de CV (NYSE:AMX) may be listed in the United States, but is incorporated in Mexico. With more than 277.4 million wireless subscribers globally, América Móvil, SAB de CV (NYSE:AMX) is easily among the largest mobile phone companies in the world.
10. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR)
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 51,682
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 4,654
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 142,491
Total number of employees: 93,700
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is an American telecommunications company. Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is also considered the second largest cable provider in the United States, while Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) has more than 26 million customers in 41 countries,
9. SoftBank Group
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 55,384
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): -15,205
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 391,604
Total number of employees: 59,721
While SoftBank is not just a mobile company, telecommunications make up a large part of the group’s operations. The third largest wireless carrier in Japan, SoftBank Group boasts more than 45 million subscribers. The company also runs the world’s largest technology-focused venture capital fund, which has over $100 billion in capital while investors include sovereign wealth funds from rich countries in the Middle East.
8. Vodafone Group Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:VOD)
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 52,932
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 2,425
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 170,479
Total number of employees: 96,941
Vodafone Group Company Public Limited (NASDAQ:VOD) is a British telecommunications company and has operations and networks in at least 22 countries, while also operating partner networks in 48 other countries. In addition, Vodafone Group Company Public Limited (NASDAQ:VOD) also provides telecommunications and IT services to corporate customers in nearly 150 countries. While its revenue fell in 2021 compared to last year, the company saw an increase in net income.
7. China Telecom
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 83,596
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 1,935
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 155,818
Total number of employees: 394,600
The second largest mobile phone company in China, China Telecommunications is a state-owned telecommunications company that has three listed companies: China Communications Services Corporation Limited, China Telecom Corporation Limited and Besttone Holding Co. Limited. It was sanctioned by the United States under an executive order by President Donald Trump, which resulted in the company’s delisting in 2021. In October 2021, the US Federal Communications Commission revoked the company’s operating license and in 2022, set its US branch as a threat to national security.
6. Deutsche Telekom
Total revenue (in millions of dollars): 128,631
Total earnings (in millions of dollars): 4,937
Total assets (in millions of dollars): 320,210
Total number of employees: 216,528
Deutsche Telekom is the largest mobile phone and telecommunications company in Europe. It is a German company, and operates numerous subsidiaries across the globe, and owns one of the world’s largest mobile communications brands in T-Mobile. The total shareholding held by the German government, directly or indirectly, was 31.9% in April 2020.
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Disclosure: None. The 15 largest mobile phone companies in the world was originally published on Insider Monkey.
