频谱与农村连接

The GSMA is a global organisation unifyingthe mobile ecosystem to discover, developand deliver innovation foundational to positivebusiness environments and societal change. Ourvision is to unlock the full power of connectivityso that people, industry and society thrive.Representing mobile operators and organisationsacross the mobile ecosystem and adjacentindustries, the GSMA delivers for its membersacross three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good,Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach.This activity includes advancing policy, tacklingtoday’s biggest societal challenges, underpinningthe technology and interoperability that makemobile work, and providing the world’s largestplatform to convene the mobile ecosystem at theMWC and M360 series of events. GSMA Intelligence is the definitive sourceof global mobile operator data, analysis andforecasts, and publisher of authoritativeindustry reports and research. Our data coversevery operator group, network and MVNO inevery country worldwide – from Afghanistan toZimbabwe. It is the most accurate and completeset of industry metrics available, comprising tensof millions of individual data points, updated daily. GSMA Intelligence is relied on by leadingoperators, vendors, regulators, financialinstitutions and third-party industry players, tosupport strategic decision-making and long-term investment planning. The data is used as anindustry reference point and is frequently cited bythe media and by the industry itself. We invite you to find out more at gsma.com Our team of analysts and experts produce regularthought-leading research reports across a rangeof industry topics. www.gsmaintelligence.com info@gsmaintelligence.com Authors: Published:February 2026 Contents Executive summary4 1.Rural connectivity in context11 2.State of rural mobile132.1. The rural connectivity gap152.2. Rural network coverage and availability192.3. Quality of experience22 3.Spectrum and rural connectivity273.1. Which bands power rural connectivity?283.2. Does rural connectivity benefit from more spectrum?313.3. Signal strength in rural areas and quality of experience363.4. The impact of network sharing on rural connectivity39 4.The future of rural connectivity42 5.Spectrum policies for rural mobile485.1. Spectrum policies to boost rural mobile495.2. Low-band spectrum pricing505.3. Quality and investment commitments525.4. Technical and commercial factors affecting rural spectrum sharing62 6.Methodology646.1. Consumer survey analysis656.2. Geospatial data analysis66 Executive summary The rural connectivity gap:disparities in access and usage Rural communities are yet to realise the fullpotential of mobile connectivity. In low- andmiddle-income countries (LMICs), adults in ruralareas are 25% less likely to use mobile internetthan their urban counterparts. Even amongmobile internet users, rural populations record alower intensity of use; they are 30% less likely toregularly engage in key activities such as instantmessaging, online calls and accessing servicessuch as banking or education. In high-incomecountries, the gap is narrower but still significant,with rural users up to 20% less likely to regularlyuse services such as online maps, video calls andother digital tools. Despite progress with rural coverage over thepast decade, these disparities represent missedopportunities for broader societal benefits,including economic growth, improved access tohealthcare and education, and enhanced networkeffects that amplify value for all users. In low- and middle-income countries,adults in rural areas are25% Rural populations areup to30% to use mobile internetthan their urbancounterpartsless likely to engage in online activities:messaging, calls, banking,educationless likely Low-band spectrum is essential for rural networks: An additional 50 MHz ofsub-1 GHz spectrum is linked to Rural users spend2× 7 percentage-pointincrease in4G coverage as much time 11 percentage-pointincrease in5G coverage connected to low bandsas urban users Lower spectrumcost boostsnetworkdeploymentA reduction ofspectrum cost-to-revenueratio by10 percentage-points... increasesspeeds by up to8% increases5G coverage by6 percentage points increases4G coverage by4 percentage points The rural connectivity gap can be reduced by improvingaffordability and network quality in rural areas. Spectrumpolicy can play an important part in advancing both. Governments can support rural development by lowering network rollout costs for operators Lowering the regulatory costs (including site access) Ensuring long-term regulatory certainty of access to spectrum Lowering the barriers to voluntary network sharing Low- and middle-income (selected countries) The rural connectivity gap stems from multiplebarriers. While literacy and affordability areprimary hurdles to initial adoption across urbanand rural areas, network quality is a criticalobstacle for greater engagement among existingusers. In LMICs, 18% of rura