Qatar is first among developing countries for the number of people using the Internet (91.5%) and ranked 12th overall in the world, according to a report that also said 57% of the world's people remain offline and unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet can offer. New figures in the 'State of Broadband' report confirm that 3.2bn people are now connected to the Internet, up from 2.9bn last year and equating to 43% of the global population, but while access to the Internet is approaching saturation levels in the developed world, the net is only accessible to 35% of people in developing countries.
The situation in the 48 UN-designated 'Least Developed Countries' is particularly critical, with more than 90% of people without any kind of Internet connectivity. Ooredoo Group CEO Dr Nasser Marafih, who is now a commissioner on the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development said, "The report highlights the global challenge that sees millions of people unable to access the life-changing benefits of Internet access. We believe that the mobile broadband has the power to improve people's lives, communities and countries, and are convinced that governments, operators and regulators need to work together to address this crucial issue." Ooredoo's network development approach looks to build on the company's success in its home market of Qatar, which is ranked second on the report's top ten countries for household Internet penetration, with 98% of homes connected.
It falls just behind South Korea, with 98.5% of homes connected, and comes ahead of Saudi Arabia (94%) in third place. Qatar is first among developing countries for the number of people using the Internet (91.5%) and is ranked 12th overall in the world. According to the ITU, there will be a total of almost 3.5bn mobile broadband subscriptions by end-2015, with industry analysts predicting 6.5bn mobile broadband (3G/4G/5G) subscriptions by 2019, making mobile broadband the fastest-growing ICT service in history. The report also stated that the Asia-Pacific region now accounts for half of all active mobile broadband subscriptions.
The ITU has forecast 25bn networked devices to be active by 2020, meaning connected devices could outnumber connected people by 6:1. 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 commission in 2011. The Broadband Commission comprises more than 50 leaders from across a range of government and industry sectors, who are committed to actively assisting countries, UN experts and NGO teams to fully leverage the huge potential of ICTs to drive new national SDG strategies in key areas like education, healthcare and environmental management. The 'State of Broadband 2015' is the fourth edition of the commission's broadband connectivity report. Released annually, it is the only report that features country-by-country rankings based on access and affordability for more than 160 economies worldwide.