Mobile broadband uptake continues to grow rapidly worldwide, reaching an estimated 2.3 billion subscriptions in 2014, with 55% located in developing countries. Mobile broadband penetration will reach 32% globally by the end of 2014, nearly double the rate in 2011. Africa is leading in mobile broadband growth, with a rate over 40% through 2014.

1. MOBILE-BROADBAND UPTAKE CONTINUES TO GROW AT
DOUBLE-DIGIT RATES
The number of mobile-broadband subscriptions reaches 2.3 billion,
with 55% of them in developing countries
Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2007-2014*
Globally, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 32% by end 2014 – almost double the penetration rate just
three years earlier (2011) and four times as high as five years earlier (2009).
In developed countries, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 84%, a level four times as high as in developing
countries (21%).
Mobile broadband remains the fastest growing market segment, with continuous double-digit growth rates in
2014. Mobile broadband is growing fastest in developing countries, where 2013/2014 growth rates are expected
to be twice as high as in developed countries (26% compared with 11.5%).
By end 2014, the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach 2.3 billion globally, almost 5 times as
many as just six years earlier (in 2008).
“I am pleased to present the latest ICT statistics. The new figures show that, by the end
of 2014, there will be almost 3 billion Internet users, two-thirds of them coming from the
developing world, and that the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach
2.3 billion globally. Fifty-five per cent of these subscriptions are expected to be in the
developing world.
Behind these numbers and statistics are real human stories. The stories of people whose
lives have improved thanks to ICTs. Our mission is to bring ICTs into the hands of ordinary
people, wherever they live. By measuring the information society, we can track progress,
or identify gaps, towards achieving socio-economic development for all.”
Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
The World in
2014 ICTFACTS AND FIGURES
84
Per100inhabitants
Developed
World
Developing
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
32
21
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database

2. AFRICA LEADS IN MOBILE-BROADBAND GROWTH
Mobile-broadband penetration in Africa reaches close to 20% in 2014,
up from 2% in 2010
Share of active mobile-broadband subscriptions, by level of development (2008, 2011, 2014*)
By end 2014, 55% of all mobile-broadband subscriptions are expected to be in the developing world, compared
with only 20% in 2008.
Active mobile-broadband subscriptions by region, 2014* and growth rates, 2011-2014*
Mobile-broadband penetration levels are highest in Europe (64%) and the Americas (59%), followed by the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (49%), the Arab States (25%), Asia-Pacific (23%) and Africa (19%).
The Americas region, with the second highest penetration levels, will be home to more than half a billion mobile-
broadband subscriptions by end 2014, and the growth rate will remain above 15%.
Although by the end of 2014 Asia-Pacific will be home to close to 1 billion mobile-broadband subscriptions, the
region’s penetration rate lags behind other regions, including the Arab States and CIS.
All regions continue to show double-digit growth rates but Africa stands out with a growth rate of over 40%
– twice as high as the global average. By end 2014, mobile-broadband penetration in Africa will have reached
almost 20%, up from less than 2% four years earlier.
2014*
2.3 billion
2011
1.2 billion
2008
422 million
Developing
Developed
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
45%55%
40% 60%
20%
80%
Developed
Europe
TheAmericas
CIS
World
ArabStates
Asia&
Pacific
Developing
Africa
64
84
59
49
32
25 23 21
19
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
42,9%
20,9%
19,4%
15,7%
14,9%
11,8%
0,00%
10,00%
20,00%
30,00%
40,00%
50,00%
60,00%
70,00%
80,00%
90,00%
100,00%
20 11-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
Note: * Es mate
Source: ITU Worl dTelecommunication/ICT Indicators database
Africa
Asia & Pacific
Arab States
The Americas
CIS
Europe
43
21
19
16
15
12
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Africa
Asia & Pacific
Arab States
The Americas
CIS
Europe
2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014*
Percent
Per100inhabitants

3. ALMOST 7 BILLION MOBILE-CELLULAR SUBSCRIPTIONS WORLDWIDE
The developing countries are home to more than three quarters of all
mobile-cellular subscriptions
Mobile-cellular subscriptions, total and per 100 inhabitants, 2005-2014*, and by region, 2014*
The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide is approaching the number of people on earth. Mobile-
cellular subscriptions will reach almost 7 billion by end 2014, corresponding to a penetration rate of 96%. More
than half of these (3.6 billion subscriptions) will be in the Asia-Pacific region.
In developing countries, mobile-cellular penetration will reach 90% by end 2014, compared with 121% in
developed countries.
Mobile-cellular growth rates have reached their lowest-ever level (of 2.6% globally), indicating that the market is
approaching saturation levels. The continuous increase in mobile-cellular subscriptions is mostly due to growth
in the developing world: penetration in developing countries continues to grow twice as much as in developed
countries (3.1% compared with 1.5%, respectively, in 2014).
Africa and Asia and the Pacific, where penetration will reach 69% and 89%, respectively, by end 2014, are the
regions with the strongest mobile-cellular growth (and the lowest penetration rates). Penetration rates in the CIS
countries, Arab States, the Americas and Europe have reached levels above 100% (since 2012) and are expected
to grow at less than 2% in 2014.
Share of mobile-cellular subscriptions, by level of development (2000, 2005, 2014*)
The developing countries’ share continues to increase and by end 2014, the number of mobile-cellular
subscriptions in the developing world will account for 78% (or more than three-quarters) of the world’s total.
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
Developing
Developed
Millions
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Developing (in millions)
Developed (in millions)
World (Per 100 inhabitants)
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
2014*
6.9 billion
2005
2.2 billion
2000
719 million
22%
78%
55% 45%
65%35%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
141141
125 121
110 108
96
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
CIS
Europe
Developed
ArabStates
TheAmericas
World
Developing
Asia&Pacific
Africa
125 121
110 108
96
90 89
69
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Per100inhabitants
141
Per100inhabitants

4. FIXED-BROADBAND GROWTH SLOWING DOWN
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
44% of all fixed-broadband subscriptions are in Asia-Pacific,compared
with only 0.5% in Africa
Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2005-2014*
Fixed-broadband penetration continues to grow, albeit slowly (at 4.4% globally in 2014), mostly due to a
slowdown in developing countries, where fixed-broadband penetration growth rates are expected to drop from
18% in 2011 to 6% in 2014. In developed countries, fixed-broadband penetration will grow at around 3.5% in 2014
compared with 4.8% in 2011.
In 2013, the number of fixed-broadband subscriptions in developing countries overtook the number in developed
countries; a trend that is expected to continue, given the higher growth rates in developing countries compared
with developed countries.
Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by region, 2014*
44% of all fixed-broadband subscriptions are in Asia-Pacific, and 24% are in Europe. In contrast, Africa accounts
for less than 0.5% of the world’s fixed-broadband subscriptions and despite double-digit growth over the last
four years, penetration in Africa remains very low, at 0.4% by end 2014.
Africa, the Arab States, and CIS are the only regions with double-digit fixed-broadband penetration growth rates.
The Americas region stands out with the lowest growth in fixed broadband, estimated at 2.5% and reaching a
penetration rate of around 17% by the end of 2014.
Europe’s fixed-broadband penetration is much higher compared with other regions and almost three times as
high as the global average (28% compared with 10%).
2.7
1.0
0.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
stnatibahni001reP
Developed
World
Developing
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication /ICT Indicators database
Developed
World
Developing
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
%
2728
17
%
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
14
10
8
6
3
0.4
Europe
Developed
TheAmericas
CIS
World
Asia&
Pacific
Developing
ArabStates
Africa
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
27
10
6

5. ALMOST 3 BILLION PEOPLE — 40% OF THE WORLD’S
POPULATION — ARE USING THE INTERNET
Close to one out of three people in the developing countries are online
Individuals using the Internet, total and percentage, 2005-2014*
Percentage of individuals using the Internet, 2005-2014*
Percentage of individuals using the Internet, by region, 2014*
78
75
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
In Africa, almost 20% of the population will be
online by end 2014, up from 10% in 2010.
In the Americas, close to two out of three people
will be using the Internet by end 2014, the second
highest penetration rate after Europe.
Europe’s Internet penetration will be reaching
75% (or three out of four people) by end 2014,
the highest worldwide.
One third of the population in Asia-Pacific will
be online by end 2014 and around 45% of the
world’s Internet users will be from the Asia-
Pacific region.
65
56
41 40
32 32
19
%
Developed
Europe
TheAmericas
CIS
ArabStaates
World
Developing
Asia&Pacific
Africa
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
7.8
4.0
3.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
stnatibahni001reP
Developed
World
Developing
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication /ICT Indicators database
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
%
Developed
World
Developing
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Internet user penetration has reached 40% glo-
bally, 78% in developed countries and 32% in
developing countries. 2014 growth rates in
developed countries remain at a relatively low,
at 3.3% compared with 8.7% in developing
countries.
Globally, there are 4 billion people not yet using
the Internet and more than 90% of them are
from the developing world.
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
78
40
32
By end 2014, the number of Internet users glo-
bally will have reached almost 3 billion. Two-
thirds of the world’s Internet users are from the
developing world.
In developing countries, the number of Internet
users will have doubled in 5 years, from
974 million in 2009 to 1.9 billion in 2014.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
%
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Millions
Developing (in millions)
Developed (in millions)
World (%)

6. 44% OF HOUSEHOLDS HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME
In Africa, only one out of ten households is connected
Percentage of households with Internet access, by level of development, 2005-2014*
By end 2014, 44% of the world’s households will have Internet access at home. Close to one third (31%) of
households in developing countries will be connected to the Internet, compared with 78% in developed countries.
2013/14 growth rates in the developing world will be more than three times as high as those in the developed
world (12.5% growth compared with 4%). Household Internet access is approaching saturation levels in
developed countries.
The number of households with Internet access in developing countries surpassed those in developed countries
in 2013, and doubled between 2010 and 2014.
Percentage of households with Internet access, by region, 2014*
By end 2014, more than one out of two households in the CIS will be connected to the Internet. In Africa, only
about one out of ten households will be connected to the Internet. However, household Internet access in Africa
continues to grow at double-digit rates (at 18% in 2014, more than twice the growth of the world average).
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Africa
Developing
Asia&Pacific
ArabStates
World
CIS
TheAmericas
Europe
Developed
11
31
36 36
44
53
57
78 78
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
31
78
44
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
%
%
Developed
World
Developing

7. HIGH-SPEED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
Differences in broadband speed persist
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed, early 2013
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Malawi†
Benin
Lesotho
Uganda
Ghana
Bangladesh†
Zimbabwe
Uzbekistan
Bolivia
Bhutan
Iran (I.R.)†
Guyana†
Swaziland
Senegal
Namibia
Antigua & Barbuda
Egypt
Mauritius
Belize
Qatar†
Sri Lanka
Ecuador
Tunisia**
Venezuela
Oman
Colombia
Costa Rica
Jordan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Morocco
Kyrgyzstan
Azerbaijan
Serbia**
Armenia
Georgia
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia*
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Trinidad & Tobago
Belarus
Chile†
Cape Verde
Brazil
China*
Kazakhstan
Croatia
Cyprus
Italy
Russian Federation
Poland**
Estonia
Slovak Republic
Ireland
Macao, China
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Austria
Israel†
Romania
Canada*
Lithuania
Hungary
Luxembourg
Greece
Singapore
United States*†
Spain
Bulgaria
Germany
Finland
Norway*
Portugal
Sweden
Switzerland
Malta
Japan
Netherlands**
Belgium
United Kingdom*
Andorra
Hong Kong, China
Denmark
Iceland**
France
Korea (Rep.)
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed, early 2013
[0.11]
[0.07]
[0.05]
[0.01]
Note: Refers to advertised speeds. * Data correspond to speed intervals slightly different from the ones defined by ITU.
** Breakdown by speed available only for a part of the total fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions.
† Early 2012 data.
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
Korea (Rep.)
France
Iceland**
Denmark
Hong Kong, China
Andorra
United Kingdom*
Belgium
Netherlands**
Japan
Malta
Switzerland
Sweden
Portugal
Norway*
Finland
Germany
Bulgaria
Spain
United States*†
Singapore
Greece
Luxembourg
Hungary
Lithuania
Canada*
Romania
Israel†
Austria
Czech Republic
Slovenia
Macao, China
Ireland
Slovak Republic
Estonia
Poland**
Russian Federation
Italy
Cyprus
Croatia
Kazakhstan
China*
Brazil
Cape Verde
Chile†
Belarus
Trinidad & Tobago
United Arab Emirates
Turkey
Saudi Arabia*
Bahrain
Georgia
Armenia
Serbia**
Azerbaijan
Kyrgyzstan
Morocco
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jordan
Costa Rica
Colombia
Oman
Venezuela
Tunisia**
Ecuador
Sri Lanka
Qatar†
Belize
Mauritius
Egypt
Antigua and Barbuda
Namibia
Senegal
Swaziland
Guyana†
Iran (I.R.)†
Bhutan
Bolivia
Uzbekistan
Zimbabwe
Bangladesh†
Ghana
Uganda
Lesotho
Benin
Malawi†
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
≥10 Mbit/s ≥2 to <10 Mbit/s ≥256 kbit/s to <2 Mbit/s

8. Hosted by
Organized by
Telecommunication/ICT Indicators
2003–2012
YEARBOOKOF STATISTICS
I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n U n i o n
YEARBOOKOFSTATISTICS2013
2013
Printed in SwitzerlandGeneva – September 2013ISBN 978-92-61-14411-1
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Handbookfor the collection of administrative data on
Telecommunications/ICT
2011
Printed in Switzerland
International Telecommunication Union
Telecommunication development Bureau
Place des Nations
cH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
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I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n U n i o n
HandbookforthecollectionofadministrativedataonTelecommunications/IcT2011
I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n U n i o n
2013
MeasuringtheInformationSociety
2013
Printed in Switzerland
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ISBN 978-92-61-14401-2
Photo credits: Shutterstock
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MEASURING
INFORMATION
SOCIETY
THE
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I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n U n i o n
for Measuring ICT Access and Use
by Households and Individuals
MANUAL
2014 EDITION
ManualforMeasuringICTAccessandUsebyHouseholdsandIndividuals
2014Edition
E-Couv_Measuring_Access_2014.indd 1
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