Barriers to Mobile Internet Adoption and Use (The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025) (GSMA)

Summary

• Of the 3.4 billion people not using mobile internet, just over 90% live in an area covered by mobile broadband but are not using it (the usage gap).p.4
• 3.1 billion people (38% of the global population) live in areas covered by mobile broadband but do not use it, and closing the usage gap is projected to take more than 30 years.p.4
• The median cost of an entry-level internet-enabled handset in LMICs increased from around $50 in 2023 to around $54 in 2024, with affordability just under 16% of average monthly income.p.22
• A device priced at $30 could make handsets affordable to 1.6 billion individuals in the usage gap.p.22
• Around two thirds (68%) of the world's population who live within a mobile broadband network but are not using it do not own a mobile phone.p.22
• Across the countries surveyed, an average of 43% of mobile internet users reported wanting to use it more.p.25
• Mobile internet awareness is above 80% in 11 of the 15 countries surveyed.p.16

Key insights

1. The GSMA Consumer Survey covered 30 low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 79% of the population in LMICs, including 15 in 2024.p.6
2. In Nigeria, 78% of rural respondents are aware of mobile internet, but only 39% own an internet-enabled phone.p.11
3. In Nigeria, only 4% of urban residents are unaware of mobile internet, compared to 22% in rural areas.p.16
4. In Rwanda, 48% of rural respondents remain unaware of mobile internet, compared to 23% of urban respondents.p.16
5. In Uganda, 19% of men remain unaware of mobile internet, compared to 30% of women.p.16
6. In Egypt, 29% of current mobile internet users identify the connectivity experience as the top barrier to using it more, although 99% of the population is covered by 4G.p.26
7. In Pakistan and India, 35% and 18% of women mobile internet users rely on borrowing someone else's internet-enabled phone, compared to 6% and 7% of men.p.28
8. Of the more than 4 million mobile apps available, 70% are available in English and around 15% in Spanish.p.30