ITU, United Nations agency for information and communication technology published in its 2014 edition of the State of Broadband report that by 2017, half of the world population will have Internet access. With the present global internet penetration rate surpassing 40%, the report expects that by the end of this year, 2.9 billion people around the world will be online.
In terms of mobile broadband penetration, the study predicts 2.3 billion people to have access by the end of this year in tandem with the phenomenal growth in the adoption of smart mobile devices on the back of widespread availability of high speed mobile broadband connectivity. High speed mobile data has onboarded a large chunk of world population onto the internet culture, a trend that is fueled primarily by the popularity of the social media sites and now, the use of smart mobile devices for various infotainment and ecommerce services.
The study's analysis of countries showed that the Republic of Korea has the highest household broadband penetration rate at over 98% while Monaco leads other countries in terms of fixed broadband penetration at over 44% of the population. In terms of number of people online, Iceland takes the first place with a whopping 96.5% of people online followed by a host of other European states with US ranking at number 19.
"As we look towards the post-2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is imperative that we not forget those who are being left behind. Broadband uptake is accelerating, but it is unacceptable that 90% of people in the world’s 48 Least Developed Countries remain totally unconnected. With broadband Internet now universally recognized as a vital tool for social and economic development, we need to make connectively a key development priority, particularly in the world’s poorest nations. Connectivity is not a luxury for the rich – rather, it is the most powerful tool mankind has ever had at its disposal to bridge development gaps in areas like health, education, environmental management and gender empowerment.”
- Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General and co-Vice Chair of the Broadband Commission
"Despite the phenomenal growth of the Internet, despite its many benefits, there are still too many people who remain unconnected in the world’s developing countries. Providing Internet connectivity to everyone, everywhere, will take determined policy leadership and investment. As we focus on infrastructure and access, we must also promote the rights skills and diversity of content, to allow women and men to participate in building and participating in knowledge societies. As the new State of Broadband report shows, ICTs are making a significant contribution to social development, economic development and environmental protection, the three pillars that will underpin the post-2015 international development agenda and move us towards a more sustainable world.“
- Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General
