Despite the global Covid-19 pandemic, more than half the world’s population is now using mobile Internet, a new report by GSMA shows.

The global ‘State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2021’ indicates that just over four-billion people globally are now connected through mobile Internet, 225-million more than in 2019 and up from just a third of people globally just six years ago.

However, 3.4-billion, or 43% of the world’s population, remained offline in 2020, despite living in areas with mobile broadband coverage.

Of the overall 3.8-billion people who remain unconnected, only 450-million people do not live in areas with mobile broadband coverage, the report highlights.

In sub-Saharan Africa, over half a billion people living in areas with a mobile broadband network are not using mobile Internet services, despite the significant increases in mobile broadband coverage since 2014.

While significant gains have been made in both third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) coverage since 2014, only half the population in sub-Saharan Africa had access to a 4G network in 2020.

The 3G penetration rate increased from 49% in 2014 to 81% in 2020, while 4G coverage was 5% in 2014, increasing to 51% in 2020.

However, the GSMA report shows that the worldwide coverage and use gap in mobile Internet continues to narrow.

In 2014, almost a quarter of the world’s population did not have access to a mobile broadband network. This improved to 6% by 2020, with 94% of the world’s population now having access to a broadband network, with much of the progress made between 2014 and 2018.

In 2020, global coverage increased by one percentage point, from 93% to 94%, which reduced the number of people living in areas without a mobile broadband network to 450-million. Those who remain uncovered typically live in sparsely populated rural areas with difficult terrain, GSMA notes.

Although the use gap is narrowing, it is still seven times larger than the coverage gap.

In 2014, the use gap accounted for 64% of the total unconnected population, growing to 88% by 2020, owing to the increase in mobile broadband coverage.

Low- and middle-income countries now account for almost 93% of the world’s unconnected population and more than 98% of the uncovered population.

“The Covid-19 pandemic made clear the importance of mobile Internet access to people’s lives and livelihoods and has accelerated the digital transformation around the world,” says GSMA chief regulatory officer John Giusti.

“Mobile is the primary and often the only way to access the Internet in low- and middle-income countries. While more people than ever are now using the mobile Internet, some fundamental barriers stop far too many people from using mobile Internet.”

The report shows that key barriers to adoption include literacy and digital skills, as well as a lack of awareness of mobile Internet and its benefits, with a quarter of adults across the report’s surveyed countries not aware of the technology’s potential.

Affordability also remains a critical barrier, with Internet-enabled handsets and data becoming less affordable in many low- and middle-income countries in 2020, owing to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These barriers often disproportionately affect specific segments of the population, especially people living in rural areas and women.

“To close this use gap, all of us – government and industry – need to do more. In particular, we must address the key barriers to use of mobile Internet services, most notably literacy and digital skills, as well as affordability. Only through targeted and collaborative action can we bridge the digital divide,” says Giusti.

Closing the digital divide requires targeted action by all stakeholders, including mobile operators, policymakers, government and the broader private sector.