An industry report by Parks Associates has estimated global mobile data revenue will rise from $368 billion in 2015 to $630 billion by 2020.

The internationally-recognised consulting firm claims that most of the growth will be concentrated in the Asia & Pacific region.

They speculate that the emergence of 5G networks will play a major role in this growth, estimating 17.2 million 5G consumer market subscriptions by 2020.

North America and Europe will see minimal growth, with consumers expected to make heavier use of inexpensive or free Wi-Fi hotspots in an effort to reduce their mobile bills.

According to Parks Associates, this shift to 5G will prove challenging and potentially-painful for many mobile operators due to the rise of IoT (Internet-of-Things) tech.

“It will not be an easy transition” said Harry Wang, Senior Director of Research at Parks Associates.