Almost half of the world's population - 3.8 billion people - are using mobile internet. This continues to grow, with an additional 250 million people connecting for the first time in 2019. For many citizens, mobile is their only means of accessing the internet, helping to unlock significant and life-enhancing knowledge, products and services.

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020 examines how the mobile gender gap is changing quickly in LMICs, revealing how the main factors preventing women's equal mobile ownership and internet use are evolving over time, and demonstrating how mobile usage is quickly expanding as smartphone ownership rises.

GSMA Intelligence���s Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. In this edition, we look at the rising number of mobile internet users around the world and explore the main sources of this growth.

Despite two thirds of the global population being mobile subscribers, the true growth story ahead will be in mobile internet subscribers, according to this latest infographic from GSMA Intelligence. Between 2019 and 2025, mobile internet subscribers will increase by more than 30%. New 4G networks, increased smartphone adoption and the growing availability of locally relevant content in emerging markets will help fuel growth in mobile internet subscribers.

To fully realise the opportunity mobile technology presents to achieve Pakistan's national development aspirations, there is a need for key stakeholders on the country's development journey to collaborate on key initiatives and actions that can increase access to mobile connectivity and accelerate its impact on the lives of individuals and communities. In this report we have identified three distinct but interrelated actions for stakeholders to enhance the impact of mobile-enabled digital transformation on Pakistan's development aspirations.

The ongoing uptake of mobile and mobile-enabled services around the world has seen the mobile industry increase its contribution to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over the last year. The industry has continued to transform the lives of billions around the world. However, progress must be accelerated if the industry is to fully maximise its impact by 2030.

This report highlights how behaviour of smartphone users varies by age groups in a subset of key developed markets in use cases across the following four categories: communications, entertainment, payments and lifestyle. It focuses on the digital divide between those aged 18-34 and those aged 35+ and the challenges and opportunities this poses for driving future engagement.

In 2018, almost 300 million people connected to mobile internet for the first time, bringing the total connected population to more than 3.5 billion people globally. For many of these individuals, mobile is the only method of accessing the internet, so growth in mobile internet adoption also drives digital inclusion, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

This latest report from GSMA Intelligence sets out the economic benefits that IoT can bring to business productivity. The analysis is based on enterprises’ reported cost savings from the recent GSMA Intelligence IoT Enterprise Survey, which covered over 2,000 respondents across 14 countries. According to the analysis, IoT increases productivity by as much as 0.2% of GDP already.

The growth of the mobile industry has driven an unprecedented increase in digital inclusion in low- and middle-income countries. Since 2014, mobile operators have connected 700 million new subscribers and another billion have gained access to the internet through a mobile phone, many for the first time. Despite this growth, mobile ownership still remains far from universal, particularly for women. Women in low- and middle-income countries are 10 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile, and 23 per cent less likely to use mobile internet.

This latest report from GSMA Intelligence examines mobile sector taxation over time and its impact on connectivity. The report highlights the taxes applied to mobile services and how certain taxes can raise the affordability barrier and reduce the ability of citizens to take part in digital society. It also explores the impact of uncertain tax regimes on operators’ ability to continue investing in new networks.

At the end of 2017, 3.3 billion people were connected to the mobile internet, representing an increase of almost 300 million compared to the previous year. However, more than 4 billion people remain offline and 1 billion of these are not covered by mobile broadband networks (the ‘coverage gap’).

GSMA Intelligence, in collaboration with the GSMA’s Disaster Response team, is today publishing a report on disaster response in Middle East and North Africa. This report is part of a series focusing on four key regions: Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

The positive contribution of the mobile sector to the economy is well recognised. However, the tax treatment of the sector is not always aligned with best-practice principles of taxation and can affect the levels of development of digital societies across a region.

The millennial generation – born between 1980 and 2000 – is projected to reach 800 million people in mid- to high-income countries by 2020. This is larger than both Generation X (570 million) and the Baby Boomers (490 million). The impact on advanced economies will be felt from a shift in purchasing power, a redefinition of traditional life planning, asset ownership rates and – our focus here – technological adoption and reliance. Mobile internet will become the central platform of economic transaction and social interaction. Millennials are a driving force in the transition to digital economies as Boomers were in the shift to service-based economies in the 1970s and 1980s – only more so and at a faster rate.

The Global Mobile Radar series focuses on potential drivers of innovation and disruption across the digital economy. These reports highlight potential scenarios and examine the implications of these disruptions for a range of industry players, including the mobile operators. The reports are intended to be the basis for discussion and do not represent official GSMA positions on these future developments.

GSMA Intelligence is today releasing its latest publication outlining the growth story for mobile subscribers and mobile internet users to 2025

Mobile technology plays a critical role in supporting the achievement of the SDGs and Vision 2021 in Bangladesh. Basic voice connectivity offers many societal, economic and environmental benefits. Upgrading to mobile broadband, to smartphones, and further to M2M and IoT, together with rapid digital transformation, creates a significant opportunity for the mobile industry to support governments in meeting their SDG commitments. In this report we examine the priority areas and challenges that Bangladesh is facing, and what mobile can do to help address them.

The positive contribution of the mobile sector to the economy is well recognised. However, the tax treatment of the sector is not always aligned with best-practice principles of taxation, and may distort the continued development of the sector. Faced with considerable challenges in having to balance public sector budgets, some governments in Latin America apply additional, sector-specific taxes on consumers and mobile operators.

Ghana has played a proactive role in the SDGs, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Government commitment to the SDGs reflects the fact that, while Ghana is a fast growing economy (GDP growth has been an impressive 7% per year over the last 10 years), development challenges and gaps in access to basic services persist. Mobile – as a technology and as an industry – is uniquely placed to support the SDGs and development outcomes through the multiplier effect that comes from providing connectivity.