Two-Thirds of World’s Population Now Connected, According to GSMA
Intelligence
LONDON-Tuesday, June
13th 2017 [ ME NewsWire ]
(BUSINESS
WIRE)-- The world’s mobile industry has signed up its 5 billionth
unique mobile subscriber, according to real-time data from GSMA Intelligence,
the research arm of the GSMA. The 5 billion milestone means that more than
two-thirds of the global population is now connected to a mobile service. It
has taken four years to add the latest 1 billion subscribers.
“Reaching the 5 billion
subscriber milestone is a tremendous achievement for an industry that is only a
few decades old, and reflects the many billions of dollars that mobile
operators have invested in networks, services and spectrum over many years,”
commented Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. “Today mobile is a truly
global platform, delivering connectivity and, perhaps more importantly, social
and economic opportunities to citizens in all corners of the world.
This massive reach allows the mobile industry to be a key player in
delivering global initiatives such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals1.”
India To Drive Future
Subscriber Growth
More than half (55 per
cent) of mobile subscribers are based in the Asia Pacific region, which is home
to the world’s two largest mobile markets: China and India. China accounts for
more than a billion of the world’s subscribers, while India accounts for 730
million.
The most highly
penetrated region in the world is Europe, where 86 per cent of citizens are
subscribed to a mobile service. Sub-Saharan Africa is the least penetrated
region at 44 per cent.
It is forecast that the
number of unique mobile subscribers worldwide will increase to 5.7 billion by
the end of the decade2. By that point, almost three-quarters of the world’s
population will subscribe to a mobile service. India is expected to account for
the largest share of growth over this period, responsible for around 30 per
cent of new unique subscribers by 2020.
“Subscriber growth
opportunities over the coming years will be focused on connecting mainly rural,
low-income populations; operators are developing a range of sustainable
solutions to deliver affordable connectivity to underserved communities,” added
Granryd. “Meanwhile, in mature markets where subscriber growth is slowing,
operators are evolving their business models to capture increasing value within
the expanding mobile ecosystem, and providing the platform for a new digital
world as we enter the 5G era.”
|
Region
|
|
Unique mobile subscribers
(millions)
|
|
% of global subscriber base
|
|
Subscriber penetration (% of
population)
|
|
|
Asia Pacific
|
|
2,765
|
|
55%
|
|
68%
|
|
|
- China
|
|
1,081
|
|
21%
|
|
78%
|
|
|
- India
|
|
730
|
|
14%
|
|
54%
|
|
|
Europe
|
|
465
|
|
9%
|
|
86%
|
|
|
Latin America
|
|
459
|
|
9%
|
|
71%
|
|
|
Sub-Sahara Africa
|
|
436
|
|
9%
|
|
44%
|
|
|
Middle East & North Africa
|
|
391
|
|
8%
|
|
63%
|
|
|
North America
|
|
292
|
|
6%
|
|
80%
|
|
|
CIS
|
|
227
|
|
5%
|
|
79%
|
|
|
TOTAL:
|
|
5,035
|
|
100%
|
|
67%
|
|
Unique Mobile
Subscribers by Global Region, Q2 2017
Source: GSMA
Intelligence
Tracking The World’s
Mobile Subscribers
GSMA Intelligence tracks
the number of unique mobile subscribers worldwide in real time at www.gsmaintelligence.com. This number is
calculated using GSMA Intelligence’s extensive database of mobile statistics
and forecasts, which comprises tens of millions of individual data points,
updated daily.
A ‘unique mobile
subscriber’ is defined as an individual person that can account for multiple
‘mobile connections’ (i.e SIM cards). According to GSMA Intelligence, the
world’s five billion unique mobile subscribers today account for approximately
7.7 billion mobile connections (excluding M2M).
View the 5 billion
subscriber infographic here.
About The GSMA
The GSMA represents the
interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with
almost 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and
device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies,
as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces
industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress
Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of
conferences.
For more information,
please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on
Twitter: @GSMA.
1 In September 2015, the UN introduced a set
of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. The 17-point plan aims to end poverty, combat climate
change and fight injustice and inequality. The GSMA is supporting the SDGs as
part of its #betterfuture campaign. http://www.gsma.com/betterfuture/
Contacts
For the GSMA
Sophie Waterfield
+44 77 7945 9923
Sophie.Waterfield@webershandwick.com
or
GSMA Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com
Sophie Waterfield
+44 77 7945 9923
Sophie.Waterfield@webershandwick.com
or
GSMA Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com