From social media to online shopping, modern life runs on connectivity. Behind that seamless experience sits a massive, often invisible network of infrastructure, fiber optic cables, data centers, cellular towers, built and maintained by the world’s telecommunications providers. To keep pace with growing demand and quick shifts in technology, telecom companies pour billions into upgrading their networks each year. These investments form the backbone of the digital economy, enabling everything from mobile banking to video calls. A recent dataset from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) breaks down which countries are spending the most on telecommunications. The numbers reflect capital expenditures by providers of mobile and broadband services, including everything from infrastructure builds to network maintenance. U.S. and China Dominate the Field The United States tops the global rankings with over $107 billion in telecom investment, based on the latest figures from 2022. That level of spending reflects the scale of the American telecom market, home to giants like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, all of which operate across vast geographies and serve millions of customers. China follows with an estimated $59.1 billion in spending in 2023. Its telecom sector remains largely state-controlled, with China Mobile, serving more than a billion subscribers, leading the charge. Massive government-backed infrastructure projects and aggressive 5G rollout plans have kept investment high. Asia’s Other Big Spenders Japan and India round out the top four. Japan reported $23.3 billion in telecom investment, while India, despite offering some of the world’s cheapest mobile data rates, saw expenditures of $16.1 billion. Both countries have seen surging demand for mobile connectivity and digital services in recent years. Europe’s Share of the Pie Seven of the top 20 investing countries are in Europe, where widespread adoption of 5G and dense urban infrastructure continue to drive capital spending. Germany leads the continent with $16.2 billion invested, followed closely by France at $14.9 billion and the UK at $12.3 billion. Major European players like Deutsche Telekom and Orange have expanded aggressively within and beyond the continent. Other notable entries in the top 20 include Canada ($9.88B), Iran ($9.16B), and Australia ($6.47B), highlighting a wide global distribution of telecom spending. Why It Matters Telecom investment goes far beyond faster downloads and smoother video calls, serving as the foundation for critical services in healthcare, education, logistics, and finance. Countries that invest heavily in this sector position themselves to compete globally in areas such as cloud computing, AI integration, and digital commerce. While spending amounts vary widely, ranging from over $100 billion in the U.S. to just a few thousand dollars in smaller or low-income nations, the global telecom landscape continues to evolve. As more of the world moves online, the countries leading these investments will likely set the pace for future innovations in connectivity and digital infrastructure. Economy Value Year United States $107B 2022 China $59.1B 2023 Japan $23.3B 2022 Germany $16.2B 2023 India $16.1B 2022 France $14.9B 2023 United Kingdom $12.3B 2023 Canada $9.88B 2023 Iran (Islamic Republic of) $9.16B 2023 Italy $7.05B 2023 Australia $6.47B 2023 Korea (Rep. of) $5.87B 2023 Spain $5.22B 2023 Brazil $5.11B 2023 Indonesia $5.04B 2018 Russian Federation $4.44B 2023 Netherlands $4.33B 2023 Saudi Arabia $4.09B 2023 Mexico $3.07B 2023 Switzerland $3.04B 2023 Belgium $2.72B 2023 Poland $2.64B 2023 Türkiye $2.21B 2023 Thailand $2.06B 2014 Argentina $1.89B 2018 Taiwan, Province of China $1.88B 2023 Nigeria $1.84B 2022 South Africa $1.84B 2023 Colombia $1.74B 2009 Norway $1.69B 2022 Philippines $1.68B 2014 Egypt $1.55B 2023 Denmark $1.53B 2023 United Arab Emirates $1.43B 2023 Chile $1.38B 2023 Sweden $1.27B 2023 Malaysia $1.14B 2023 Israel $1.11B 2022 Greece $1.09B 2023 Ireland $1.09B 2023 Peru $1.04B 2023 New Zealand $991M 2023 Portugal $916M 2023 Czech Republic $878M 2023 Viet Nam $871M 2023 Austria $854M 2023 Serbia $844M 2023 Hong Kong, China $835M 2022 Morocco $825M 2023 Finland $770M 2023 Algeria $755M 2023 Pakistan $724M 2023 Singapore $660M 2022 Oman $624M 2023 Uzbekistan $567M 2023 Romania $562M 2023 Kenya $551M 2023 Hungary $523M 2022 Croatia $521M 2023 Ukraine $517M 2023 Ethiopia $497M 2022 Sudan $480M 2014 Dem. Rep. of the Congo $458M 2023 Jordan $431M 2023 Angola $414M 2023 Côte d'Ivoire $403M 2023 Lebanon $390M 2015 Slovakia $378M 2023 Bulgaria $372M 2023 Qatar $337M 2023 Slovenia $334M 2023 Ecuador $312M 2013 Panama $312M 2023 Bangladesh $295M 2021 Dominican Rep. $295M 2023 Myanmar $290M 2021 Iraq $278M 2017 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) $271M 2021 Ghana $270M 2021 Cuba $266M 2018 Sri Lanka $254M 2023 Costa Rica $249M 2023 Yemen $243M 2009 Belarus $243M 2023 Honduras $241M 2023 Senegal $235M 2023 Benin $231M 2023 Azerbaijan $230M 2023 Cambodia $225M 2023 Cameroon $224M 2023 El Salvador $216M 2016 Uruguay $216M 2016 Bahrain $213M 2023 Uganda $205M 2011 Tunisia $198M 2023 Kuwait $195M 2023 Zambia $185M 2023 Cyprus $182M 2022 Mauritius $179M 2012 Mali $170M 2021 Kazakhstan $165M 2022 Zimbabwe $160M 2018 Tanzania $160M 2021 Paraguay $148M 2023 Madagascar $145M 2023 Bosnia and Herzegovina $131M 2023 Estonia $128M 2023 Luxembourg $126M 2022 French Polynesia $122M 2018 Lithuania $121M 2023 Jamaica $118M 2013 Latvia $109M 2023 Congo (Rep. of the) $108M 2011 Mauritania $107M 2023 Mongolia $97.5M 2023 Togo $96.1M 2023 Georgia $94.4M 2023 Mozambique $94.2M 2022 Armenia $93.9M 2023 Burkina Faso $91.1M 2020 Iceland $89.7M 2023 Montenegro $82.5M 2023 Moldova $80.6M 2023 Kyrgyzstan $78.4M 2023 Trinidad and Tobago $76.4M 2023 Chad $75.7M 2022 Niger $74.4M 2022 Bahamas $74.2M 2023 Botswana $71M 2022 Brunei Darussalam $69.1M 2023 Papua New Guinea $65.4M 2000 North Macedonia $63.5M 2023 Malta $57.6M 2012 Rwanda $56.4M 2023 Syrian Arab Republic $55.2M 2013 Namibia $54.3M 2023 Guinea $53.7M 2018 Albania $45.6M 2023 Eritrea $43.1M 2013 Afghanistan $40.3M 2022 Macao, China $39.7M 2023 New Caledonia $37.6M 2000 Bhutan $37.3M 2023 Fiji $35.6M 2020 Malawi $33.9M 2022 South Sudan $31.1M 2019 Barbados $30.9M 2018 Seychelles $29.3M 2023 Djibouti $28.8M 2023 Nepal (Republic of) $25.2M 2003 Aruba $24.6M 2008 Liechtenstein $21.4M 2023 Cayman Islands $21.2M 2017 Jersey $18.5M 2000 Gabon $18.2M 2005 Saint Lucia $18.2M 2018 State of Palestine $17.8M 2018 Cabo Verde $16.6M 2023 Maldives $14.8M 2004 Guyana $14.6M 2017 Belize $14M 2012 Timor-Leste $13.9M 2009 Eswatini $13.8M 2022 Monaco $13.1M 2019 British Virgin Islands $12.1M 2018 Central African Rep. $11M 2019 Bermuda $10.7M 2004 Lesotho $7.59M 2023 Guernsey $7.37M 2000 Grenada $7.28M 2014 Turkmenistan $7.27M 2002 Tajikistan $6.53M 2003 Dominica $5.83M 2017 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $5.52M 2020 Saint Kitts and Nevis $5.24M 2017 Samoa $4.96M 2017 Tonga $4.47M 2018 Suriname $4.09M 2023 Nicaragua $3.45M 2023 Sao Tome and Principe $3.05M 2023 San Marino $2.74M 2007 Gambia $2.64M 2018 Burundi $2.53M 2023 Comoros $1.85M 2023 Micronesia $1.74M 2006 Kiribati $1.21M 2023 Palau $1.12M 2015 Falkland (Malvinas) Is. $909K 2002 Liberia $384K 2013 St. Helena $162K 2014 Venezuela $62.5K 2018 Guinea-Bissau $29.6K 2023 Lao P.D.R. $15.7K 2017 Solomon Islands $9.50 2016 Vanuatu $0.00 2018 Note: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. 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Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, remains in regulatory limbo in Pakistan as authorities finalize a new set of rules for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications. The much-anticipated Pakistan Satellite Communication Rules and Regulations are expected to be issued by the end of July 2025, which will determine whether Starlink can secure the necessary approvals to operate in the country. Starlink first registered its company with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on February 24, 2022. Since then, the matter of its No Objection Certificate (NOC) has remained pending with the Pakistan Space Regulatory Activities Board (PSARB) -- the authority overseeing satellite licensing in the country. New regulations in the works In a bid to formalize satellite internet operations, the PSARB hired an international consultant who recommended the creation of Pakistan-specific satellite rules for LEO services. These rules, currently under development by the Ministry of IT and Telecom and PSARB in consultation with stakeholders, are expected to lay the groundwork for granting licenses to operators like Starlink. According to PSARB officials contacted by Nukta , the Satellite Communication Rules and Regulations are being shaped based on the consultant’s recommendations and existing satellite infrastructure. The officials said that once finalized, operators such as Starlink would be able to apply for registration and licensing under the new framework. Sources told Nukta that work on these rules is in full swing. A seminar was held recently on the subject, attended by IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, who assured stakeholders of a transparent and consultative process. Officials expressed hope that the new regulations will be in place by the end of July 2025. Technical requirements and licensing path A senior official involved in satellite communication said Starlink would require multiple licenses and must submit a comprehensive technical plan. With nearly 40 LEO systems already operating in Pakistan’s satellite space, authorities want to ensure that any new entrant does not interfere with existing infrastructure. “These regulations will ensure that Starlink’s system does not pose any risk to Pakistan’s existing satellite network,” the official told Nukta . He added that the upcoming framework was critical to protecting national satellite assets. Starlink was earlier granted temporary registration on March 21, 2025, but it expired in June 2025. The company is now waiting on the formal regulations to determine whether it can meet all technical and legal requirements. Once the rules are finalized, the matter will go through a final review round at PSARB. If approved, the file will be sent to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which will issue Starlink’s operating license within 3 to 4 days, officials confirmed. Despite several attempts, Starlink’s representative in Pakistan did not respond to Nukta ’s queries on the matter. Regional comparison and rising competition While Pakistan’s approval remains pending, Starlink has already launched services in several South Asian countries. India has issued a license and initiated network rollout, Bangladesh granted approval last month, and Sri Lanka began service earlier this month. Meanwhile, competition is also heating up within Pakistan. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) -- a Chinese satellite company -- has initiated the registration process in the country. However, PSARB has yet to receive its case for review.
From writing emails to answering questions and organizing data, generative AI has quickly become part of daily digital routines. But while these tools make work faster and more convenient, they also come with an unseen cost. Every time someone types a prompt into ChatGPT, energy is used to process the request, and with it comes a carbon footprint that’s easy to overlook. Recent Surfshark research suggests that each ChatGPT query uses about 2 watt-hours of energy. That’s roughly the same power it takes to run a 10-watt LED bulb for 12 minutes or charge a smartphone with a 5-watt adapter for 24 minutes. Put another way, sending one query consumes as much energy as running a 1000-watt microwave for about seven seconds. Heating up a typical lunch takes three minutes, so you’d spend the same energy by making 26 chatbot queries. The impact grows quickly when scaled. If every person in the United States sent just one query, the combined energy use would reach nearly 685 megawatt-hours. That’s enough to power 63 average homes for a full year, based on national residential electricity use. Environmental concerns don’t stop there. Each prompt is estimated to produce 4.32 grams of carbon dioxide. That figure may seem small, but when multiplied by millions of users, the emissions become significant. A single day where every American interacts once with ChatGPT would generate roughly 1,479 metric tons of CO₂, about the same as what 322 gasoline cars emit in a year, or as much carbon as 1,500 people flying roundtrip between London and New York. Also read: Which Tech Companies Make the Most Money per Employee? As global usage continues to grow, the pressure to optimize these models increases. By 2025, the number of generative AI users worldwide is projected to reach nearly 378 million, with 65 million new users added in just one year. That jump marks the fastest growth to date. There’s still no single answer on exactly how much energy a chatbot query requires. Some studies suggest it could be as low as 0.3 watt-hours, particularly for newer, more efficient models. Others report figures closer to 3 watt-hours, especially with older or more complex systems. These differences reflect both advances in AI infrastructure and the challenges in measuring energy use directly, as most estimates rely on modeling, not public data from tech companies. For context, Google Search uses about 0.3 watt-hours per query, making ChatGPT nearly seven times more power-hungry by comparison. The carbon footprint depends on where the electricity comes from. Data centers still draw heavily from fossil fuels in many regions, which explains why a single chatbot query can carry a CO₂ price tag. Depending on local grid intensity, emissions per prompt can vary widely, from under a gram to over nine. Researchers used standardized appliance ratings to create relatable comparisons. For example, they measured a 10-watt light, a 5-watt phone charger, a 100-watt TV, and a 1000-watt microwave, then calculated how long each could run using the same energy as one AI query. They also matched the U.S. population against national energy consumption figures to estimate how many homes could be powered if that same energy were used elsewhere. None of this means people should stop using AI altogether. But as adoption accelerates, so does the need to make these systems cleaner and more efficient. Behind every AI-generated answer, there’s an environmental tab still being calculated. Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen. Read next: Where the Biggest Telecom Investments Are Happening Around the World
