The benefits of mobile connectivity have yet to be fully realised as some 43 percent of the global population (3.45 billion people), still do not use mobile internet, according to the latest GSMA ‘State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024’ report.

The report which surveyed a total of 173 countries indicates that mobile internet access in Africa has improved, but significant gaps in coverage and usage remain, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which still has the lowest connectivity levels globally.

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By the end of 2023, 57 percent of the world’s population (around 4.6 billion people) were online through mobile devices, a major milestone in global connectivity. However, GSMA maintained that despite the rise in mobile internet adoption, growth has flattened, and the gap is visible.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile connectivity levels continue to trail other regions, with severe differences in access across the continent.

This means that more than a third of people in that region live outside areas covered by mobile internet. This, experts argue, is a significant barrier to development in a region where mobile internet is often the only viable connection to healthcare, education, and job opportunities.

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According to the findings, countries are scored within a range of 0 to 100 across a number of indicators, with a higher score representing stronger performance in delivering mobile internet connectivity.

Rwanda scored 62.4 percent in infrastructure, 39.7 in affordability, 37.3 in consumer readiness, and 48.8 in content and services. Kenya leads the region with Rwanda in second place.

Here are the 10 major findings

1. Internet adoption is on the rise globally

Mobile internet adoption continues to increase, with 57 percent of the world's population (4.6 billion people) now using mobile internet on their devices.

However, the growth rate at which people are adopting mobile internet remained flat in 2023.

Around 160 million people started using mobile internet in 2023, which is similar to the growth in 2022 but represents a slowdown compared to 2015–2021 when more than 200 million people became connected each year.

More than 90 percent of the growth in 2023 came from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 95 percent of the unconnected population lives.

2. Coverage gap is a prevailing challenge

With the vast majority of the world’s population living within the footprint of a mobile broadband network, mobile broadband coverage only increased marginally.

Of the global population, 96 percent is now covered by mobile broadband, with the remaining the hardest to reach.

Those living in areas without mobile broadband coverage – the coverage gap – total around 350 million people (4 percent of the world’s population).

The coverage gap is more pronounced in some countries, with 31 countries still having a coverage gap larger than 10 percent of the population.

According to GSMA, uncovered communities are predominantly rural, poor, and sparsely populated.

They are typically in the least developed country (LDC), landlocked developing country (LLDC), or small island developing state (SIDS).

Almost 90 percent of those not using mobile internet live in areas covered by mobile broadband.

There were 3.1 billion people (39 percent of the global population) living in areas covered by mobile internet but not using it by the end of 2023.

With mobile internet adoption outpacing network expansion, this usage gap has continued to

shrink.

However, the usage gap is now nine times the size of the coverage gap.

Two-thirds of those who are not using mobile internet despite living in areas with broadband coverage do not yet own a mobile phone of any type.

3. Sub-sahara remains with the largest coverage, usage gaps

Connectivity varies significantly by and within regions and countries, with 95 percent of those not using mobile internet living in LMICs.

As in previous years, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the largest coverage and usage gaps.

In LMICs, adults in rural areas are 28 percent less likely than those living in urban areas to use mobile internet, and women are 15 percent less likely than men to use mobile internet.

Among LMICs, connectivity tends to be significantly lower in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, the report highlighted.

4. Closing the usage gap

Closing the usage gap is estimated to add $3.5 trillion in total additional GDP during 2023–2030, the report estimates.

More than 90 percent of this benefit ($3.2 trillion) would accrue to LMICs, given they account for the vast majority of the unconnected.

Just over $1.3 trillion in total additional GDP over the period would come from closing the gender gap in mobile internet adoption across LMICs.

5. 4.3 billion using own mobile phones

The number of people using their own smartphones to access the internet increased to almost 4.3 billion people by the end of 2023 (53% of the global population).

Almost 80 percent of mobile internet subscribers globally are now accessing the internet on a 4G or 5G smartphone – an increase of 330 million people between 2022 and 2023.

While this represents a significant increase, one in five mobile internet subscribers worldwide is still using a 3G smartphone or feature phone to access the internet.

A further 730 million individuals used mobile internet in 2023 on a device they do not own or have primary use of. This comprises 440 million adults and 290 million children under 18 years old.

While access on a shared or other person’s device represents an important mode of access for many children, it is more limiting for adults; they are unable to realise the full benefits of mobile internet if they only have temporary, shared, or intermittent access.

6. 4G approaching 3G coverage levels

According to the GSMA report, 4G is approaching 3G levels of coverage, but the majority of network investment continues to be in 5G deployment.

At the end of 2023, the number of 5G connections worldwide exceeded 1.5 billion. However, more than 100 countries have not launched 5G networks yet, with more than 80 percent of these LMICs.

7. Network quality improving

Network quality and data consumption in LMICs have seen the largest increases to date, but significant gaps persist versus high-income regions.

With more consumers migrating to 4G and 5G, average data traffic per user continues to increase, reaching almost 13 GB per connection in 2023.

Global average download speeds have also increased – from 34 to 48 Mbps. While average download speeds in high-income countries reached almost 100 Mbps, they remain below 20 Mbps in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.

However, while mobile internet awareness continues to grow, it in many cases remains a significant barrier to mobile internet adoption.

In 2023, more than 80 percent of the population in seven of the 12 surveyed countries were aware of mobile internet.

However, this still means that in five of the survey countries, 20–50 percent of the population has still not heard of mobile internet.

Women and those living in rural areas also remain less likely to be aware.

8. Affordability, literacy, and digital skills are the primary barrier

For those already aware of mobile internet, the top-reported barriers to adoption are affordability (primarily of handsets) and literacy and digital skills.

Affordability (particularly of internet-enabled handsets) remains the greatest barrier to mobile internet adoption across the countries surveyed, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lack of literacy and digital skills ranked second overall across the countries surveyed and is the top barrier to mobile internet adoption across Asian countries.

Safety and security concerns and lack of perceived relevance were reported less often but authors of the report said there were also important barriers.

9. 43 percent of internet users want to "use it more”

While most mobile internet users use it every day, usage is often limited to only one or two activities, and many (data from the survey) say they want to use it more.

Communications, social media, and entertainment remain the most popular activities.

However, the use of other activities is lower and is much more varied across countries.

Across the survey countries, an average of 43 percent of mobile internet users reported wanting to use it more. The top barriers to further use vary by country, but commonly reported barriers are safety and security concerns, affordability (particularly of data but also handsets), and the connectivity experience.

10. Affordability of data

Affordability of an entry-level, internet-enabled handset remained relatively unchanged, while affordability of data continues to improve in LMICs across most regions.

However, the affordability of devices and data continues to disproportionately affect the underserved.

Across LMICs, the affordability of an entry-level handset is 18 percent of the average monthly income overall. However, it is equivalent to 39 percent of average monthly income for the poorest 40 percent, and 51 percent for the poorest 20 percent.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for a quarter of the unconnected population worldwide, an entry-level device costs 99 percent of average monthly income for the poorest 20 percent.

For women in LMICs, the cost of an entry-level, internet-enabled handset is 24 percent of monthly income, compared to 12 percent for men.