Around 450 million around the world do not have access to mobile broadband networks, according to the latest research from the GSMA. Global coverage improved to 94 percent of the world's population in 2020, up 1 percent point from the previous year. This means 450 million or 6 percent of the world's population live in an area without at least 3G coverage.
The research released at the MWC Africa event shows that an even bigger number of people - 3.8 billion - do not use mobile broadband. Mobile internet is used by just over 4 billion connected people, or 51 percent of the world's population, according to the GSMA. The user base increased by 225 million compared to 2019 and is up from just a third of people globally six years ago.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for almost all the population not using mobile internet and without access to the networks. Across LMICs, 4G coverage increased to 84 percent by the end of 2020, or eight percentage points less than 3G. Only 10 such countries had 5G networks.
A survey by the GSMA found that the biggest barriers to take-up are a lack of awareness of mobile internet and its benefits and affordability of internet-enabled handsets and data. In many LMICs, mobile data became less affordable in 2020 due to reduced per capita income during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The GSMA’s 'State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2021' report was funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
