A new report published by trade body the GSMA says there are 3.1 billion people who don’t use mobile internet services, despite living within reach of a mobile broadband network
Closing this ‘usage gap’ could mean a $3.5tn boost to the economy between 2023 and 2030, it finds
The biggest barriers to closing the void are device costs, lack of digital skills and illiteracy
The coverage gap, where people live in areas with no mobile broadband, stands at 350 million people
The GSMA estimates investment of $418bn will be needed to achieve universal mobile internet access
It’s well understood that the number of people covered by mobile internet does not necessarily equate to takeup. This is especially true in poor and rural areas where finding the money to buy a device – or lack of education about the benefits of accessing digital services – can often prove huge barriers to adoption.
What might come as a surprise is how big the so-called ‘usage gap ‘is. According to a new report from the GSMA, which represents the world’s mobile operator community, about 3.1 billion people on the planet (some 39% of the world’s population) do not use mobile internet services, even though they live within reach of a mobile broadband network that would enable them to do so.
The usage gap, states the GSMA’s ‘State of Mobile Internet Connectivity’ report, is nine times the size of the ‘coverage gap’, which is the 350 million people (4% of the global population) living in largely remote areas where mobile internet networks don’t reach. It means the overall connectivity gap (usage and coverage) is 3.45 billion (43% of people on the planet). The GSMA estimates that an enormous investment of $418bn will be needed to close the coverage gap and achieve universal mobile internet access.
