Sixty Percent of Humanity Has a Cell Phone

By Geoff Duncan Published July 25, 2014

Sixty Percent of Humanity Has a Cell Phone

The wireless industry trade association 3G Americas has announced new estimates from Informa Telecoms & Media for the number of active mobile connections in service around the world. The verdict? There are about 4 billion mobile connections in service around the world in December 2008, which, if one applies a little arithmetic, implies that some 60 percent of humanity has a cell phone.

Of course, the reality is probably a little more complicated. In established markets, a number of mobile users operate more than one mobile device (one phone for personal use, another for work, perhaps mobile connectivity for a computer…or perhaps a passel of mobile phones for children). Similarly, many enterprises, organizations, and governments utilize pools of mobile devices that may exceed the number of mobile users at any given moment. Nonetheless, there is no denying the increasing penetration of mobile technology around the world—even if it doesn’t mean exactly three out of every five humans alive today owns a cell phone.

Recommended Videos

3G Americas is keen to point out rapid growth in many developing markets, including Latin America and the Caribbean, which saw 16 percent year-on-year growth, with total subscription numbers expected to top 440 million. The organization hails the growing penetration of wireless communication technology in the regions, noting it will be “changing their economic, social and political fortunes forever.”

Informa also estimates that 415 million mobile users have 3G capabilities, with some 77 percent of those using UMTS/HSPA networks, with the remaining 95 million 3G users relying on CDMA EV-DO connectivity.

3G America’s is promoting the adoption of LTE 4G mobile broadband technology, which is expected to begin competing with Sprint/Clearwire’s WiMax rollout in the next 12 to 18 months.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

How to change margins in Google Docs

Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Computing

What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Computing

Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.