Barriers to Mobile Internet Adoption and Use - M4D - SOMIC

An elderly woman in colourful traditional clothing sits cross-legged on an outdoor bed, smiling whilst using a mobile phone. She wears vibrant bangles and a floral headscarf. The background features a textured beige wall and a blanket with pink patterns.

Barriers to Mobile Internet Adoption and Use

An exploration of the barriers people face in adopting mobile internet and using it more.

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Overview Report

Trends in Mobile Internet Connectivity

Network Coverage and Infrastructure

Understanding Mobile Internet Use in LMICs

Barriers to Mobile Internet Adoption and Use

Affordability of Internet-Enabled Handsets and Data

Mobile Connectivity Index

At a glance

The 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.

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Key findings animation about the top barriers to mobile internet adoption and further use.

“
In 96% of the world, the infrastructure is in place for people to get online via mobile. Removing the remaining barriers to using these services is essential to ensuring existing digital divides are reduced rather than deepened and many more of these 3.1 billion people can benefit from life-changing connectivity.
Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA

Explore the chapters

A woman in a pink top stands outside by a building, leaning on a wall with one arm raised and looking down at her mobile. Her hair is in a bun, and washing hangs nearby. The setting appears quiet and residential.

1. An overview of the barriers

This chapter outlines the key barriers to mobile internet adoption and use: affordability, knowledge and skills, safety and security, relevance, and fundamental enablers, highlighting their disproportionate impact on women, rural populations and persons with disabilities.

A man wearing a brown and orange sports jumper stands next to a green auto rickshaw, leaning on it whilst looking at his mobile phone. The background shows a grey corrugated wall and part of an overhead structure.

2. The mobile internet user journey

People drop off at every stage of the journey to mobile internet use, with sharper declines among certain countries and demographics. This chapter outlines six stages of the journey and highlights where the steepest drop-offs occur.

Two women at an outdoor market stall smile and look at a mobile phone, surrounded by piles of fresh tomatoes and produce in baskets. Sunlight creates a warm, vibrant atmosphere, and other market traders and goods are visible in the background.

3. Barriers at key stages in the mobile internet user journey

Barriers to mobile internet adoption and use differ by country, demographic and stage of user journey. This chapter examines the top reported barriers to adoption and further use, comparing experiences across urban and rural populations.

A woman wearing a red and white dupatta stands in a sunlit kitchen near a cooker, holding a cooking utensil. Light streams through a wooden window behind her. The kitchen walls are unpainted and there is a visible power point on the wall.

4. Awareness of mobile internet

While overall awareness of mobile internet is high, it remains a critical initial barrier to adoption in many contexts. The rate of growth has slowed, and awareness remains lower for women and those in rural areas.

An older man in a cap and grey shirt stands in a lush green rice paddy holding seedlings and a mobile, smiling. Behind him are flooded rice fields and a house with palm trees. The sky is cloudy and blue.

5. Barriers to mobile internet adoption among those aware of it

Affordability (particularly of handsets) and literacy and digital skills remain the top barriers to mobile internet adoption among those aware of it. This chapter examines how the barriers vary across countries and demographic groups and provides more detail on these top barriers.

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6. Barriers to further use for existing users

Existing mobile internet users still face barriers to greater use of mobile internet, which vary significantly across countries. This chapter identifies the top barriers as safety and security concerns, affordability (particularly of data), and the connectivity experience.

The Connected Society programme is supported by UK International Development from the UK Government and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and is supported by the GSMA and its members.