One bn people in the world don't have mobile phones

About one billion people across the world still do not own a mobile phone, and a third of the world's population is unable to access the internet, a study has found.

The report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) showed that six billion people -- six out of seven of the world's population -- had a subscription to a mobile phone by the end of 2011, the Daily Mail reported. However, even with the rapid advancement of the communications industry, one billion others still do not have a phone.

One billion people around the world still don't own a mobile phone

About a third of the world's population - around 2.3 billion - does not have access to the internet, the report said. The report said the number of people acquiring mobile phone subscriptions has risen sharply in recent years, with developing countries seeing a double-digit growth in 2011.

The daily said the use of mobile broadband grew by 78 percent in developing countries and 40 percent across the world. However, huge disparities were revealed in the cost of services from country-to-country, the ITU report said, with poorer nations paying the most.

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Macau, Norway and Singapore were at the top of the list of 161 countries in terms of internet affordability, while Madagascar came last, just behind Togo and Niger, the Daily Mail said.

IANS