Two-thirds of the world's population are now connected by mobile devices

years per billion mobile subs

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Two-thirds of the world’s population are connected by mobile devices, according to data from GSMA.

This milestone of 5 billion unique mobile subscribers globally was achieved in Q2 2017. By 2020, almost 75% of the global population will be connected by mobile.

Here are the key takeaways from the report:

Smartphones will continue to drive new mobile subscriptions. By 2020, new smartphone users will account for 66% of new global connections, up from 53% in Q2 2017.
Developing markets will account for the largest share of new mobile subscription growth over the forecast period. Forty percent of new subscribers will stem from five markets: India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
But mobile growth is slowing. It took around four years to reach 5 billion mobile users, compared with the three-and-a-half years it took to reach 4 billion. This suggests it’s going to take longer to reach 6 billion users, as the pool of new mobile users continues to shrink.

Affordability, content relevance, and digital literacy are likely bigger inhibitors to mobile internet adoption than a lack of network infrastructure is. Two-thirds of the 3.7 billion consumers who aren’t connected to the internet are within range of 3G or 4G networks. This suggests that device cost, a lack of relevant apps and content, and not knowing how to use the device are the primary barriers to mobile adoption.

However, tech companies are targeting emerging markets to ensure that mobile adoption and internet usage continue to grow. For instance, local smartphone markers in China, such as Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, Micromax in India, and AfriOne in Nigeria are building very affordable smartphones for consumers in their respective markets and abroad. And Google and Apple are building app developer centers in emerging markets such as Bangalore in India, which could increase the volume of localized apps.

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