The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2023

By the end of 2025, the number of people using mobile internet increased to 4.8 billion people (59% of the global population). However, around 3.4 billion people still do not use mobile internet, and significant digital divides persist. As advancements in technologies such as AI accelerate the pace of digitalisation, it is more critical than ever to ensure no one is left behind. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 provides the mobile industry and other stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity, as well as insights on key barriers to mobile internet adoption and to further use of mobile internet among existing users.

The final report in this series explores how affordability of entry-level, internet-enabled handsets and various data bundles have changed over time, and how affordability impacts different segments of the population.

This fifth report in the series focuses on the barriers people face to adopting mobile internet and using it more, as well as how these differ by country and whether they live in a rural or urban area.