Technology
40% Of World Has Internet Access; Cheaper/More Plentiful Mobile Access And ‘Digital Naives’ Will Continue Spread
[University Herald]
Cheaper and more plentiful mobile plans are helping to increase the reach of Internet access across the world. By 2013, around 40 percent of the planet will have online access, according to a United Nations report released Monday.
Another report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) estimates the proliferation of 6.8 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions by the end of 2013, according to the U.N.
Mobile plans, on average, are less expensive than fixed broadband, making them the preferred path to Internet connectivity. Over the last four years, the costs of such plans have fallen by 82 percent across 160 countries, according to the U.N.
Also in the ITU’s report were its annual rankings of internet access by country, as per the United Nations. For the third consecutive year, The Republic of Korea (ROK) led, followed by Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Norway. The United States was 11th.
