According to recent statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), featured in its publication, "The World in 2009: ICT facts and figures", growth of the mobile market continues unabated, with 4.6 billion subscriptions to mobile telephone services expected worldwide by the end of the year, and subscriptions to mobile broadband climbing to 600 million, surpassing the number of fixed broadband subscribers in 2008.
In general, the study shows the rapid growth of information and communication technology in many parts of the world, from mobile cellular subscriptions to fixed and mobile broadband, and from television to computer penetration - with mobile technology acting as a key driver.
ITU estimates reveal that three quarters of households now own a television set and over a quarter of people globally now have access to a computer at home, demonstrating the potential in developing countries for converged devices, as the mobile, television and Internet worlds collide.
But the ITU's statistics also highlight regional disparities, with penetration rates of mobile broadband low in many countries of Africa and in other developing nations. The rapid growth of high-speed Internet in the developed world also contrasts with the situation of developing countries, such as in Africa, where there is only one fixed broadband subscriber for every 1,000 inhabitants, while in Europe the ratio is 200 subscribers per 1,000 inhabitants. The relative price of ICT services (particularly broadband) is also highest in Africa, the region with the lowest income levels.
Further information:
- 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2009 http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/39.html
