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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]
2 clusters · 5 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Mobile internet usage gaps in Pakistan and Nigeria
Overview
A GSMA report, the State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026, identifies significant mobile internet usage gaps in Pakistan and Nigeria. In Pakistan, approximately 140 million people live within mobile broadband coverage areas but do not use mobile internet services.
While the challenges in Pakistan have evolved from expanding network coverage to addressing affordability, digital literacy, and service relevance, hardware access remains a critical barrier. In rural Pakistan, only 46% of adults own an internet-enabled handset, compared to 62% in urban areas.
Nigeria faces a similar scale of connectivity challenges, with an estimated 140 million people also falling into the usage gap. The report highlights a disparity between urban and rural populations in Nigeria, where 66% of urban respondents use mobile internet compared to only 33% of rural respondents. Hardware ownership in Nigeria also shows a divide, with 79% of urban respondents owning internet-enabled handsets versus 51% of rural respondents.
Entities
Timeline
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[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sourcesGSMA report highlights mobile internet usage gaps in Pakistan and Nigeria
A GSMA report reveals massive mobile internet usage gaps in Pakistan and Nigeria, driven largely by a lack of internet-enabled handsets in rural areas despite high awareness.
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[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sourcesPakistan faces massive mobile internet usage gap
GSMA reports that 140 million people in Pakistan live within mobile broadband coverage but remain offline, highlighting a global digital divide that could cost $3.5 trillion in potential GDP.
Sources
africancio.com · cwpakistan.com · dailytrust.com · it-online.co.za · techjuice.pk