COMCEC Transport and Communications
Outlook 2018
53
Figure 29: Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) (2000-2016)
Source: World Bank
Internet usage throughout the globe has been rapidly increasing. While the total number of
internet users in the world was about 1 billion in 2005, it reached 3.4 billion in 2016. Internet
usage rate reached 81.6 percent in 2016 in high income countries, while it was 41.7 and 13.5
percent for middle and lower income countries respectively. Similar to fixed broadband
subscriptions, there is a huge difference between high and low income countries in terms of
internet usage and this gap is not diminishing, if not growing. This divide poses a serious threat
of deepening existing social and economic inequalities.
Figure 30: Internet users (per 100 people) (1990-2016)
Source: World Bank
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