S09 CAF 5 2021 Mobile broadband_Layout 1 17/11/2021 12:50 Page 28
Internet connectivity
MOBILE BROADBAND
Connecting the 3.8 billion unconnected What is the state of mobile internet connectivity worldwide? How are regions faring in which mobile internet is a still relatively new phenomenon? A new report* from mobile industry organisation the GSMA takes a closer look.
T
The report suggests that mutually beneficial privatepublic partnerships should be pursued. 28 Communications Africa Issue 5 2021
Handset affordability has improved in sub-Saharan Africa.
Photo: Adobe Stock
HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has accelerated digital transformation around the world. That’s one of the findings – and possibly the least surprising one – of a new report* from the GSMA, which represents mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem. The report is called the State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2021. The rapid expansion of online education and health services, e-commerce and remote working has highlighted the importance of the internet. In low and middle-income countries (LMICs) most people access the internet via mobile, and for many it is the only way to get online. Thus it has provided people with a key means to keep in touch and access important information, services and opportunities to support their lives and livelihoods, particularly during lockdowns. This is a rapid change. As the report points out, six years ago about a third of the world’s population were using mobile internet. Today, it is more than half. But, while more than four billion people are using mobile internet as of late 2020 (an increase of 225 million since the end of 2019), 3.8 billion people still do not have access to the internet – most of them in LMICs. This, the report says, is usually due to a lack of mobile broadband coverage or because of other barriers, including a lack of awareness of the internet and its benefits, lack of literacy and the required skills, affordability, lack of perceived relevance, and safety and security concerns. The coverage gap – those living in areas without mobile broadband coverage – stands at 450 million people, or 6% of the world’s population. Sub-Saharan Africa is still the region with the largest coverage gap, at 19%. The usage gap – those living in areas with a mobile broadband network but not using mobile internet – has reduced for the second year in a row but continues to be substantial; it represents 43% of the world’s population. The
unconnected are more likely to be poorer, less educated, older, rural and women. In fact women in LMICs are still 15% less likely to use mobile internet than men, with 234 million fewer women than men using mobile internet. It’s true that people living in rural areas are increasingly using mobile internet. A significant rural-urban gap nevertheless persists across the surveyed countries. In fact the GSMA suggest that a quarter of adults are still not aware of mobile internet and its benefits across the LMICs surveyed. As noted earlier, a lack of literacy and digital skills, as well as affordability, continue to be key barriers to mobile internet adoption. What about handsets? Despite falling prices, internet-enabled handsets and data actually became less affordable in many LMICs in 2020 due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decline in per capita income due to the pandemic was one reason for this. However, handset affordability improved somewhat in sub-Saharan Africa and data became more affordable in South Asia. All that said, across the LMICs surveyed, the diversity and frequency of online activities has
increased. Mobile internet users have been using their mobile phones for a wider range of online activities and, in many cases, more frequently. There has also been growth in more data-intensive activities, such as video calling, music streaming and watching videos online. Despite the increase in data usage resulting from the pandemic, mobile networks were resilient and network capacity improved. And of course, as we all know from regular reports on the subject, 4G network coverage continues to expand, while a number of countries have also seen significant increases in 5G coverage. More people than ever before are able to access information, content and services through mobile internet. The report claims that these increased levels of mobile broadband connectivity have a particularly strong socioeconomic impact in LMICs, including the reduction of poverty. However, it warns that, if not well managed, increased levels of digitisation can exacerbate existing inequalities. While increasing coverage of mobile broadband remains an important issue in emerging markets, it is the usage gap that is key to closing the digital divide. www.communicationsafrica.com
