in 2011. India does not figure in top 25 list as the country is late to roll
out 3G and 4G services.
The mobile broadband penetration in Korea Rep is 91 (Active mobile
broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants). Japan 87.8, Sweden (84) and Australia
(82.7) ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, according to ITU.
(Please see the chart of top 25 mobile broadband markets based on subscribers
in 2011 at the end of the article)
ITU said 159 economies worldwide have launched 3G services
commercially and the number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions has
increased to almost 1.2 billion.
While people in developed countries usually use mobile-broadband
networks in addition to a fixed broadband connection, mobile-broadband is often
the only access method available to people in developing countries.
The percentage of the population covered by a 2G mobile-cellular
network is twice as high as the population covered by a 3G network. 3G
population coverage reached 45 percent in 2011.
With 5.9 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions, global penetration
reaches 87 percent, and 79 percent in the developing world.
Mobile-broadband subscriptions have grown 45 percent annually over
the last four years and today there are twice as many mobile-broadband as fixed
broadband subscriptions.
45 percent of the world’s Internet users are below the age of 25. Over
the last five years, developing countries have increased their share of the
world’s total number of Internet users from 44 percent in 2006 to 62 percent in
2011. Internet users in China represent almost 25 percent of the world’s total
Internet users and 37 percent of the developing countries’ Internet users.
According to GSMA, India has been ranked 14 in mobile
broadband readiness index among 17 Asia Pacific nations.
India
ranks 14 in mobile broadband readiness index among 17 Asia Pacific nations
Japan is ranked number one in the index. Singapore (2), Hong
Kong (3), Australia (4) and South Korea (5) are the in top 5.
Below India (14), countries such as Thailand (15), Pakistan
(16) and Bangladesh (17) are finding place.
While the mobile broadband readiness index 2011 scrore for Japan is 78.7,
India’s score is 20.2. Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, New
Zealand are above India.
The Mobile Broadband Readiness Index (MBRI) indicates that
countries creating an ecosystem conducive to growth in mobile data services
have the potential to make rapid leaps ahead of their peers.
