The World in 2010: ICT Facts and Figures

This International Telecommunications Union (ITU) publication summarises trends indicated by data on information and communication technology (ICT) penetration worldwide.

Some of the trends illustrated include the following:

• Increased 3G penetration (a 3G or 3rd generation international mobile telecommunications system must allow simultaneous use of speech and data services and provide higher peak data rates than the older 2G systems): Of the 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, 940 million subscriptions are to 3G services. Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas. In 2010, 143 countries were offering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007. Higher broadband speeds, the next generation of wireless platforms, is offered in Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, and the United States.
  
• Mobile cellular growth is slowing due in the developed countries to reaching saturation levels - with, on average, 116 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Developing countries increased their share of mobile subscriptions from 53% of total mobile subscriptions at the end of 2005 to 73% at the end of 2010, increasing penetration rates to 68%, driven by the Asia Pacific region. African penetration rates are 41% compared to 76% globally, leaving room for more potential growth.
  
• The total number of text messages (SMS - short message service) tripled from 2007-2010, from an estimated 1.8 trillion to 6.1 trillion, or 200,000 every second, at a cost of US$14,000 every second (averaged). China's SMS revenue was 12% of total mobile revenue. The United States and Philippines accounted for 35% of SMS in 2009.
  
• The number of internet users has doubled between 2005 and 2010, surpassing the two billion mark, of which 1.2 billion are in developing countries, with China being the largest internet market. A number of countries, including Estonia, Finland, and Spain have declared access to the internet as a legal right for citizens. While 71% of the population
  in developed countries is online, only 21% of the population in developing countries is online - user penetration being lowest in Africa: 9.6% compared to 71% in developed countries and 21% in developing countries.
• A chart compares households with television, with computers, and with internet access, by rate of penetration. TV: 98% developed countries, 72.4% developing countries; computer: 71% developed, 22.5% developing countries; and internet: 65.6% developed countries, 15.8% developing countries. At the end of 2010, half a billion households worldwide (or 29.5%) will have access to the internet.
  
• Strong growth in fixed (wired) broadband subscriptions has resulted in 8% penetration in 2010, up from 6.8% in 2009, of which approx. 45% of subscriptions are in the developing world, with Africa lagging the furthest in behind due to a less than 1% penetration rate.
  
• Speeds of information downloading: With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed connections. For example, at the minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps [kilobit per second], downloading a high-quality movie takes almost 1½ days - compared to 5 minutes at a connection speed of 100 Mbps [megabit per second].
• Fixed (wired) broadband prices dropped by 42% between 2008 and 2009, but they remain higher than mobile cellular connection costs and remain higher in the developing world: "in 2009, an entry-level fixed (wired) broadband connection cost on average 190 ppp [purchasing power parity]$ per month in developing countries, compared to only 28 ppp$ per month in developed countries."