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Mobile phone penetration in poorest countries reaches 25%
A new United Nations report has revealed that mobile phone penetration in the poorest Least Developed Countries (LDCs) reached 25% in 2009. The figure is a significant increase compared to 2003, when the number of mobile phone subscriptions in LDCs was of only two per 100 inhabitants.
The Information Economy Report 2010 was released on Thursday (14 October 2010) by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. In developing countries overall the penetration rate is now at 58%. The report also found that mobile phones can help lift people out of poverty by offering them a wide range of income-generating opportunities, such as selling airtime on the streets and refurbishing handsets.
Source: Panos London
Panos London promotes the participation of poor and marginalised people in national and international development debates through media and communication projects. It is part of the worldwide Panos Network of independent institutes working to ensure that information is used more effectively to foster debate, pluralism and democracy.
Go to: http://www.panos.org.uk