A new report published yesterday by the UN indicates that 67% of the world’s population, or two-thirds total, are mobile subscribers- far outweighing Online access.
67% of the world’s population represents around 4.6B people, up from only 1B in 2002, indicating staggering continued growth. In developing nations, however, the uptake is even more substantial with 57% of the total population in these nations being mobile subscribers, even though other technologies are scarce.
To compile the report, the UN tallied mobile phone, land-line telephone and internet usage in 159 countries, which ranged from the most advanced European nations to the least developed nations in sub-Saharan Africa. The report also found that Internet use has grown, but at a much slower pace. It’s no secret that mobile devices are replacing computers in many parts of the world, and that a large majority of Web usage is attributed to mobile.
The potential for mobile marketing is obvious, especially in developing nations, with cellular penetration (CP) more than doubling in developing nations such as Africa and India since 2005. The CP in emerging markets exceeded 50% for the first time in 2009, reaching an estimated 57% by the end of the year, the report claims.
Providers and carriers are already taking note, as earlier this month, Vodafone revealed it will target consumers in India and across Africa with two new, ultra-low cost handsets which will support mobile banking and other services. Without immense competition as felt in developed nations such as the US and European countries, the possibilities are endless.
