India, China Account for 39% of Young Internet Users: UN Report

According to a recent release by the United Nations, around 830 million young people are using the internet worldwide. Of which 39 per cent, a whopping 320 million, are in China and India.

The data was released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). They are the specialized arm of the UN who deal in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The data reflects that great treads are being made in expanding Internet access. A key role has been played by the increased availability of broadband networks. The ICT Facts and Figures 2017 shows China is leading the way in internet usage. China accounts for 80 per cent of all fixed-broadband subscriptions at 10 Mbit/s or above in the developing world.

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Digital connectivity plays a critical role in bettering lives, as it opens the door to unprecedented knowledge, employment and financial opportunities for billions of people worldwide," said ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao.

Some key points from the report:

15-24 YEARS OLD ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF INTERNET ADOPTION

• In the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), up to 35 per cent of individuals using the Internet are aged between 15-24, as compared with 13 per cent in developed countries and 23 per cent globally.

GROWTH-RATE OF MOBILE BROADBAND SUBSCRIPTIONS

• In the last five years, mobile broadband subscriptions have gone up by more than 20 per cent, yearly. And it is expected to reach 4.3 billion globally by the end of 2017.
• Between 2012 and 2017, LDCs witnessed the highest growth-rate of mobile broadband subscriptions, despite this, the number of mobile subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in LDCs is the lowest globally at 23 per cent.
• In the last five years 330 million subscriptions were added. This is a 9 per cent increase in fixed-broadband subscriptions. The increase in high-speed fixed broadband subscriptions parallels to the growth in the number of fibre connections.

MOBILE BROADBAND IS CHEAPER THAN FIXED BROADBAND IN MOST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Mobile broadband prices, as a percentage of gross national income per-capita, dropped by half between 2013 and 2016.

The proportion of men using the Internet remains slightly higher than the proportion of women using the Internet in two-thirds of countries worldwide.

GENDER GAP AMONG THE INTERNET USER

• The gender gap among the internet users has narrowed in most regions since 2013. However, the proportion of men using the Internet remains slightly higher than the proportion of women using the Internet in two-thirds of countries worldwide.
• In 2017, the global internet penetration rate for men stands at 50.9 per cent as compared to 44.9 per cent for women.
• In the US, the number of women using the Internet is higher than that of men.
• The International Internet bandwidth grew by 32 per cent between 2015 and 2016, with Africa registering an increase of 72 per cent during this period. It is the highest of all regions.

TELECOMMUNICATION REVENUES

• Global telecommunication revenues declined by 4 per cent from $2.0 trillion in 2014 to $1.9 trillion in 2015.
• Developing countries, which are home to 83 per cent of the global population, generate 39 per cent of the world's telecommunication revenues.

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