How ICT impacted MDGs in 15 years

Recently, the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda was held in New York with a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly. The  summit was also meant for governments to make their final assessment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which global leaders agreed upon in the year 2000. It is evident that in the past 15 years, the ICT revolution has not only impacted on the MDGs but driven global development in an unprecedented way.

The Wired World: A graphic representation of the Internet

According to ITU study on ICTs,  the report indicated that ICTs will play an even more significant role in the post 2015 development agenda and in achieving future sustainable development goals as the world moves faster and faster towards a digital society. Experts say technological progress, infrastructure deployment, and falling prices have brought unexpected growth in ICT access and connectivity to billions of people around the world.

For instance, statistics have shown that in 2015 alone, there are more than 7 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, up from less than 1 billion in 2000. Out of this number, 3.2 billion people globally are said to be using the internet of which 2 billion are from developing countries.

Internet  penetration

Globally, the ITU study showed that 3.2 billion people are using the internet and expected to do so by end 2015, out of which 2 billion are from developing countries. For every internet user in the developed world, the report said there were about two in the developing world. However, about 4 billion people from developing countries are said to have remained offline, representing 2/3 of the population residing in developing countries.

Of the 940 million people living in the least developed countries (LDCs), only 89 million use the Internet, corresponding to a 9.5 per cent penetration rate. Specific achievements in the last 15 years of ICT growth

Mobile cellular subscriptions

The report postulated that by end 2015, there will be more than 7 billion mobile cellular subscriptions, corresponding to a penetration rate of 97 per cent, up from 738 million in 2000, an indication that global internet penetration grew 7 fold from 6.5 per cent to 43 per cent between 2000 and 2015.

Mobile broadband

In a similar trend, mobile broadband is said to be the most dynamic market segment; globally, reaching 47 per cent penetration in 2015, a value that increased 12 times since 2007.

 Household with Internet

The proportion of households with internet access at home recorded another substantial growth which increased from 18 per cent in 2005 to 46 per cent in 2015.

Fixed broadband

On the contrary, the fixed-broadband uptake is said to be growing at a slower pace, with a 7 per cent annual increase over the past three years and is expected to reach 11 per cent penetration by end 2015.  The report also revealed that the proportion of the population covered by a 2G mobile-cellular network equally grew within the same period from 58 per in 2001 to 95 per cent in 2015.

3G mobile broadband

The 3G mobile broadband coverage, according to the ITU survey is extending rapidly and into the rural areas. 1n 2011 alone, 3G recorded 45 per cent population coverage out of world population of 7 billion. In 2015, its population coverage hit 69 per cent out of world population of 7.4 billion and rural population coverage hit 29 per cent out of world rural population of 3.4 billion people. This is also as its urban population coverage hit 89 per cent out of world population of 4 billion.

The Digital Divide in 2015

By end 2015, 34 per cent of households in developing countries are expected to have internet access, compared with more than 80 per cent in developed countries. In least developed countries (LDCs), only 7 per cent of households is estimated to have internet access, compared with the world average of 46 per cent. While, internet penetration in developing countries stands at 35 per cent; LDCs lag behind with only 10 per cent.

In Africa, one in every 5 people is said to be using the internet in 2015, compared to almost 2 in 5 people in Asia and Pacific, and 3 in 5 people in the CIS. However, it was further revealed that mobile-broadband penetration levels are highest in Europe and the Americas, at around 78 active subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Africa is the only region where mobile broadband penetration is found to have remained below 20 per cent, with fixed-broadband penetration standing at less than 1 per cent in LDCs. Africa and the Arab States stand out as the regions with the fewest fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, at less than 1 and less than 4, respectively.

Broadband now affordable in 111 countries

The study recorded that in 2014, the price of fixed or mobile broadband plan corresponds to less than 5 per cent of average growth (GNI) per capital in 111 countries, thus meeting the Broadband Commission target. The global average price of a basic fixed-broadband plan (52$) is 1.7 times higher than the average price of a comparable mobile-broadband plan of (30$).

In developing countries, average monthly fixed-broadband prices (in $) are 3 times higher than in developed countries; mobile-broadband prices are twice as expensive as in developed countries.

Fixed broadband subscriptions

According to the survey, fixed-broadband uptake remained slow in developing countries and particularly in LDCs, where penetration rates stood at 7 per cent and less than 1 per cent, respectively. While the prices of fixed-broadband plans dropped sharply between 2008 and 2011, especially in developing countries, they have been stagnating since then and even increased slightly in LDC.