Four Critical African ICT facts and figures
Africa may be regarded as a booming telecommunications market but it still lags behind the rest of the world.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is a specialised agency of the United Nations that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies (ICT), annually reveals facts and figures regarding the global uptake of ICT.
ITU officials have said the mobile revolution is moving closer to having almost as many mobile- cellular subscriptions as people on earth.
Africa is no different in this case, but as ITU statistics reveal, the continent lags behind the globe with respect to particularly the take up of broadband.
Below are four tables with fast facts and figures for mobile, internet, mobile broadband growth in specific areas around the globe.
The tables highlight how Africa has a long way to go.
| Region | Mobile-cellular penetration, 2013: calculated per 100 inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Africa | 63 |
| Asia & Pacific | 89 |
| Arab States | 105 |
| Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) | 170 |
| Europe | 126 |
| The Americas | 109 |
| Region | Internet users by region, 2013: calculated per 100 inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Africa | 16 |
| Asia & Pacific | 32 |
| Arab States | 38 |
| Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) | 52 |
| Europe | 75 |
| The Americas | 61 |
| Region | Households with internet access by region: Calculated by % |
|---|---|
| Africa | 7% |
| Asia & Pacific | 33% |
| Arab States | 34% |
| Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) | 46% |
| Europe | 77% |
| The Americas | 61% |
| Region | Mobile broadband subscriptions by region, 2013: Calculated in millions |
|---|---|
| Africa | 93 million |
| Asia & Pacific | 895 million |
| Arab States | 71 million |
| Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) | 129 million |
| Europe | 422 million |
| The Americas | 460 million |
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