According to the GSMA’s “State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024” report, 43% of the world’s population—about 3.45 billion people—still lack access to mobile internet.
The report shows that although mobile internet adoption continues to grow, the rate of new users has slowed. In 2023, 160 million people came online—matching 2022’s increase but notably lower than the more than 200 million new users added annually between 2015 and 2021.
Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the study maps critical connectivity gaps and stresses the need for coordinated action among governments, industry and development partners.
Today, 4.6 billion people—57% of the global population—use mobile internet on personal devices. However, around 350 million people remain without any mobile internet coverage, mainly in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Far more concerning is the “usage gap”: 3.1 billion people live in areas with coverage but do not use mobile internet services, a gap nearly nine times larger than the coverage shortfall.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the least connected region, with only 27% of the population using mobile internet. The region experiences a 13% coverage gap and a substantial 60% usage gap, highlighting both infrastructure and adoption challenges.
The economic stakes are high. Bringing the unconnected online could add an estimated £3.5 trillion to the global economy between 2023 and 2030, with around 90% of that benefit accruing to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Device affordability is a major barrier in LMICs. Entry-level internet-capable devices cost, on average, 18% of monthly income; for the poorest 20% of the population, that rises to 51%. The situation is especially severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the poorest quintile would have to spend roughly 99% of their monthly income to afford a basic internet-enabled device.
Digital skills and literacy present another significant obstacle, particularly across parts of Asia, where limited ability to use digital services discourages adoption. Other important barriers include lack of locally relevant content, security and privacy concerns, intermittent electricity supply, and weak or unreliable network infrastructure.
Even among people who already use mobile internet, engagement levels remain constrained. On average, 43% of users across surveyed countries said they would like to use mobile internet more but are restricted by affordability, concerns over security and privacy, or lack of useful local content.
The GSMA report calls for urgent, coordinated action by governments, mobile network operators, device manufacturers, civil society and international organizations to close both coverage and usage gaps. Policy measures, targeted subsidies, investments in digital skills, affordable devices, improved local content and resilient infrastructure are all highlighted as essential steps toward meaningful connectivity for everyone.
For the full GSMA report, see the original PDF available from the GSMA (The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2024).
(Photo by Paul Hanaoka)
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