Qatar 17th in world for number of people online
Over 50% of the global population will have Internet access within three years time, with mobile broadband over smart phones and tablets now the fastest growing technology in human history, according to the 2014 edition of the State of Broadband report.
The report reveals that more than 40% of the world’s people are already online, with the number of Internet users rising from 2.3 billion in 2013 to 2.9 billion by the end of this year.
Over 2.3 billion people will access mobile broadband by end 2014, climbing steeply to a predicted 7.6 billion within the next five years.
There are now over three times as many mobile broadband connections as there are conventional fixed broadband subscriptions.
The popularity of broadband-enabled social media applications continues to soar, with 1.9 billion people now active on social networks.
Produced annually by the Broadband Commission, The State of Broadband is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the 54 members of the Broadband Commission.
The Republic of Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration at over 98%.
A number of MENA countries are in the top 20 for people online, including Bahrain (11th), UAE (13th) and Qatar (17th).
Qatar is recorded as having the second highest percentage of household broadband (96.4%) of any developing country after Korea. It also ranks third out of developing countries for percentage of individuals using the Internet.
With broadband Internet now universally recognized as a vital tool for social and economic development, we need to make connectively a key development priority, particularly in the world’s poorest nations.
Connectivity is not a luxury for the rich – rather, it is the most powerful tool mankind has ever had at its disposal to bridge development gaps in areas like health, education, environmental management and gender empowerment.”
“Despite the phenomenal growth of the Internet, despite its many benefits, there are still too many people who remain unconnected in the world’s developing countries,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
