According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to reach 2.3 billion globally in 2014 with developing countries accounting for 55 per cent of the total subscriptions.
Further, global mobile broadband penetration will reach 32 per cent in 2014 with 84 per cent penetration witnessed in developed countries and 21 per cent in developing countries. At present, mobile broadband penetration in Europe stands at 64 per cent, the Americas (59 per cent), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (49 per cent), the Arab States (25 per cent), Asia Pacific (23 per cent) and Africa (19 per cent).
Internet access
ITU forecasts about 44 per cent of the world?s households will have internet access by end 2014 ? about 31 per cent of households in developing countries will be connected to the internet against 78 per cent in developed countries. While more than one out of two households in the CIS will be connected to the internet; in Africa, only about one out of ten households will be connected to the internet. However, household internet access in Africa will continue to witness double-digit growth through 2014.
By end 2014, the number of internet users globally will reach three billion. Two-thirds of the world?s internet users will belong to the developing world as against internet-user penetration of 40 per cent globally, 78 per cent in developed countries and 32 per cent in developing countries. At present, more than 90 per cent of the people who are yet to experience internet access are from the developing world.
Further, in Africa, about 20 per cent of the population will be online by end 2014. In the Americas and in Europe, close to two out of three and three out of four people will be using internet, respectively by end of 2014. Europe will have highest internet penetration by 2014, followed by the Americas.
One-third of the population in Asia and the Pacific will be online by end 2014 and about 45 per cent of the world?s internet users will be from the Asia-Pacific region.
Mobile subscriptions
ITU states that mobile subscriptions will reach about 7 billion by end 2014, and 3.6 billion of these will be in the Asia-Pacific region. Developing world will account for 78 per cent of the world?s total mobile subscribers.
In Africa and Asia and the Pacific, mobile penetration will reach 69 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively in 2014. Meanwhile, penetration rates in the CIS, Arab States, the Americas and Europe have already reached above 100 per cent and mobile subscriptions are expected to grow at less than two per cent in 2014.
Fixed broadband
By end 2014, ITU forecasts fixed broadband penetration to reach 10 per cent globally. At present, 44 per cent of the total broadband subscriptions are supported by Asia and the Pacific, and 25 per cent by Europe. Africa accounts for less than 0.5 per cent of the world?s fixed broadband subscriptions, and despite double-digit growth over the last four years, penetration in Africa remains very low.
At present, Africa, the Arab States, and CIS are the only regions with double-digit fixed broadband penetration growth rates. The Americas region will have a penetration rate of about 17 per cent in 2014. Europe?s fixed broadband penetration is much higher compared with other regions and almost three times as high as the global average.
ITU concludes that by end 2014, there will be about 100 million fewer fixed telephone subscriptions than in 2009.
