UN: 4.6b mobile phone subscriptions worldwide
UNITED NATIONS. February 15. KAZINFORM. The number of mobile phone subscriptions worldwide has reached 4.6 billion and is expected to increase to five billion this year, the UN telecommunications agency said Monday; Kazinform refers to China Daily.
Mobile phone providers in rich countries offer advanced services and handsets, while people in developing countries increasingly use the mobile phone for health services and banking, said the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
"Even during an economic crisis, we have seen no drop in the demand for communications services," said the agency's Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure.
The number of mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide is expected to exceed one billion this year, the agency said; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.