The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 is now available. This page remains available as an archive of the 2022 report and supporting resources.
Growth in mobile internet adoption continues and is nearly entirely driven by people living in low- and middle-income countries. Across the world, 55% of the population was using mobile internet at the end of 2021.
With 95% of the world’s population covered by a mobile broadband network, addressing the usage gap – the 40% of the global population covered by a mobile broadband network but not using the internet – is the main challenge. While important progress has been achieved in increasing internet adoption and usage, there is a growing digital divide between and within countries.
In The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity report 2022 we provide 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 use. It includes, for the first time, insight on mobile internet connectivity among adults and by income group, as well as an assessment of the situation in the Least Developed Countries. It is critical that we ensure no one is left behind in an increasingly connected world.
Further country-level data can be found in the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index, a tool which measures the performance of 170 countries against the key enablers of mobile internet adoption: infrastructure; affordability; consumer readiness; and content and services. The Index was developed as part of the mobile industry’s commitment to drive mobile internet connectivity and accelerate digital inclusion.
The MCI measures the key enablers of mobile internet connectivity across 174 countries against 32 indicators. It supports the mobile industry, governments and the international community in driving action towards universal access to the internet.
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The Connected Society programme is currently funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Global Research and Technology Development Portfolio, and by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and is supported by the GSMA and its members.
