Only 3.2bn people are using the internet, a new study reveals

There is some fascinating data that has just been published by the International Telecommunication Union that sheds light on the past 15 years about the information and communication technologies (ICTs). The data shows that ICTs have grown in an unprecedented manner, providing huge opportunities for social and economic development. The research also says that 3.2-billion people are using the internet in 2015.

The new figures track ICT progress and show gaps in connectivity since the year 2000, when world leaders established the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Today, according to the data, there are more than seven billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, up from 738-million in 2000. Globally, 3.2-billion people are using the internet and two billion of these people live in developing countries.

“These new figures not only show the rapid technological progress made to date, but also help us identify those being left behind in the fast-evolving digital economy, as well as the areas where ICT investment is needed most,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, at the press conference to launch the report.

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Between 2000 and 2015, Internet penetration increased almost seven-fold from 6.5 to 43% of the global population. The number of households with Internet access at home increased from 18% in 2005 to 46% in 2015.

Internet user penetration

ITU figures indicate that four billion people in the developing world are still offline. Off the nearly one billion people living in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 851-million do not use the Internet.

It is this markets that Facebook is targeting with its Facebook.org initiative and Google with its internet balloons. Should this succeed in providing internet to these market, these numbers should drastically change. It is also about providing free internet as costly internet will not be too expensive for the communities in developing countries to afford.

3G mobile-broadband

Mobile broadband is the most dynamic market segment, expanding rapidly over the past 15 years. Globally, mobile broadband has reached 47% in 2015, a value that increased 12-fold since 2007. In 2015, 69% of the global population will be covered by 3G mobile broadband, up from 45% in 2011.

The research notes that there is also a rapid extension of 3G mobile broadband into rural areas, and ITU estimates that 29% of the 3.4-billion people worldwide living in rural areas will be covered by 3G mobile broadband by the end of 2015. The research does not go into details about this but it would be interesting as to what factors will contribute to this. Among the four billion people living in urban areas, 89% will have access to 3G mobile broadband.

Mobile-broadband penetration levels are highest in Europe and in America, recording around 78 active subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. In Africa, mobile broadband penetration is still quite low, remaining below 20%.

Fixed-broadband uptake growing at a slower pace

In comparison to mobile broadband, fixed-broadband uptake is growing at a slower pace with a seven per cent annual increase over the past three years. In developing countries, the prices of fixed-broadband services dropped sharply between 2008 and 2011 but have since recovered and even increasing slightly.

Broadband now affordable in many countries

The figures from the study indicate that broadband is now affordable in 111 countries, with the cost of a basic (fixed or mobile) broadband plan corresponding to less than five per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. The global average cost of a basic fixed-broadband plan, as measured in PPP$ (or purchasing power parity $), is 1.7-times higher than the average cost of a comparable mobile-broadband plan.

Percentage of individuals using the Internet

In Africa today, the research claims, one in five people are using the Internet, compared to almost two in five people in Asia & Pacific, and three in five people in the CIS.

This research not only looks at the past but looks at the future too, with the director of the ITU’s telecommunication development burea, Mr Brahima Sanou, stating that:

“ICTs will play an even more significant role in the post-2015 era and in achieving future Sustainable Development Goals as the world moves faster and faster towards a digital society. Our mission is to connect everyone and to create a truly inclusive information society, for which we need comparable and high-quality data and statistics to measure progress.”