Portio Research, which specialises in analysing the mobile and wireless industries, has forecast there’ll be 6.5 billion mobile subscribers worldwide by the end of 2012. By the end of 2016 it expects the total to have reached almost 8.5 billion, which represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 7.3% between the end of 2011 and 2016.
The figures are included in the company’s new Worldwide Mobile Industry Handbook 2012-2016.
During that period, China will add the largest number of new customers; the country will see 633 million new subscribers in this five-year term. Africa will see the fastest growth rate with an anticipated CAGR of 9.4%.
The report also notes the adoption of new technology. At the end of 2011, 26% of the world’s mobile users were on 3G or 4G networks; by the end of 2016 this figure is expected to be around 60%.
[Portio Research blog]