Towards a connected world
Facebook’s State of Connectivity Report 2015 examines the current state of global connectivity and the key barriers to Internet access around the world.
Thanks to the availability of affordable data as well as rising incomes in 2015, the global Internet population grew to 3.2 billion – a 10 per cent increase from 2.9 billion in 2014.
Facebook’s State of Connectivity Report 2015 examines the current state of global connectivity and the key barriers to Internet access around the world.
The report shows that over the last 10 years, connectivity increased by approximately 200 to 300 million people per year.
But while that’s positive news, the remainder of the world population needs help to gain access to the Internet and the economic opportunities it enables.
“Achieving universal connectivity is a major challenge that will require the cooperation of many stakeholders through innovation and investment. For any collaborative solution to be planned and executed effectively, rich, reliable and accessible data must be widely available,” the report says.
If there’s no significant change to current trends, the report says that more than three billion people will remain offline by 2020, nearly all in developing countries.
Key insights
- At the end of 2014, there were approximately 2.9 billion internet users globally. By the end of 2015, this figure was predicted to have reached 3.2 billion, about 43 per cent of the world’s population.
- During 2014, lower prices for data and rising global incomes have made mobile data packages of 500MB per month affordable to 500 million more people.
- The highest estimates of 3G and 4G coverage suggest that approximately 1.6 billion people live outside mobile broadband coverage, an improvement compared to 2 billion at the end of 2014.
- Most people connect to the internet using mobile devices, which are the only way to get online in many parts of the world. An estimated 2.7 billion people did not have mobile phone subscriptions in 2015.
Bridging the digital divide in Australia
Here at nbn, we often talk about the importance of bridging the digital divide between the city and the country.
To do this, we are working to build a combination of nbn fixed line, fixed wireless and satellite technologies to meet our goal of connecting eight million homes and businesses across Australia by 2020.
Find out how our fixed wireless technology will help provide regional and rural Australia access to fast broadband.
Access to the nbn™ network presents opportunities in education, business, entertainment, health care and sociability, giving everyone the potential to be more productive, more creative, more efficient and more connected for decades to come.
It is designed to allow Australians to expand their digital lives in unprecedented ways.
They'll be able to access all kinds of information online, communicate effectively (video conference without constant dropouts, for instance) and have great entertainment options.
People who would otherwise not be able, may now find it possible to work from home, and still be in contact with work colleagues, suppliers or even customers.
To know more about the nbn™ network and the benefits it will enable for homes and businesses, visit our special feature nbn™ 101.
Find out how access to fast broadband will shape the connected future of Australian households in our special series Internet Uninterrupted.
Check out Australia's smart cities at the forefront of digital innovation, thanks to access to fast broadband over the nbn™ network.
*Your experience including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like your equipment quality, software, broadband plans and how your service provider designs its network.
