GENEVA — Nearly three quarters of individuals over the age of 10 now personal a cell phone, doubtlessly opening the best way to broader web use, the United Nations stated Wednesday.
The UN’s International Telecommunication Union has supplied its first estimate of regional and international possession, revealing that 73 p.c of the world’s inhabitants over 10 years of age owned a cellphone in 2022.
“Mobile phones are the most common gateway to internet use, with the percentage of ownership serving as an indicator of internet availability and access,” the ITU stated because it launched its annual report on international connectivity.
Internet extra reasonably priced and widespread, however world’s poorest nonetheless shut off from on-line alternatives https://t.co/CjQkH6Ajvg
Latest #ITUdata on international connectivity amid financial downturn pic.twitter.com/gkXsUn71rI— Int’l Telecommunication Union (@ITU) November 30, 2022
But it cautioned that cell phone possession stays increased than web use—particularly in lower-income international locations, with broadband normally costlier than cellular-only companies.
The ITU discovered that cell phone possession had grown steadily lately, estimating it had risen from below 67 p.c in 2019.
The on-line inhabitants additionally noticed an enormous “bump” up in 2020 throughout the first 12 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, ITU senior economist Thierry Geiger informed AFP.
Unsurprisingly, possession was highest in rich international locations, the place 95 p.c of individuals at the moment personal a cell phone, and lowest in low-income international locations, the place solely 49 p.c do, the ITU stated.
‘Digital darkness’
The UN’s telecoms company says roughly a 3rd of the planet has nonetheless by no means been on-line.
But the web inhabitants has been rising and an estimated 5.3 billion individuals, or 66 p.c of individuals worldwide, are actually utilizing the web.
“Access to the internet is increasing, but not as quickly and evenly across the world as it needs to,” Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who heads the ITU’s telecommunications improvement division and can quickly take over as company chief, stated within the assertion.
“Too many people still live in digital darkness.”
Estimates of worldwide web use usually take a look at the worth of mobile-broadband companies, which permit customers to entry the web from a smartphone and are comparatively cheap in comparison with a set web service.
According to Wednesday’s report, the worldwide median worth of mobile-broadband companies dropped from 1.9 p.c of common gross nationwide earnings (GNI) per capita final 12 months to 1.5 p.c now.
However, the price nonetheless stays too excessive for the typical client in most low-income economies, the place a fundamental cellular knowledge plan is estimated to price 9 p.c of GNI per capita.
The ITU referred to as on all international locations to make sure reasonably priced broadband entry, outlined as costing lower than two p.c of GNI per capita.
While the price of connectivity seems to be persevering with its decline, Geiger warned rising prices for different requirements may drive many to maneuver offline.
The ITU report additionally discovered a major gender hole: some 259 million fewer ladies have entry to the web than males.
Only 63 p.c of girls are at the moment utilizing the web, in comparison with 69 p.c of males, it stated. — AFP
