We Can Expect 8.3 Billion Mobile Broadband Users by 2022

Smartphones seem so ubiquitous at this point that it’s easy for mobile app developers to forget that not everyone in the world has one. The good news is that we seem to be heading in that direction. Last year marked the first time that smartphone subscriptions surpassed that of traditional cell phones. As it stands today, 80% of the world’s population has the infrastructure in place to connect to mobile broadband. In five years, 95% of the world is expected to have access to a mobile broadband network. Pretty soon, the whole world will have the whole world in the palm of its hands.

These figures come from this year’s Mobility Report issued by Ericcson, the reputable telecommunications equipment outfit. The biggest takeaway from Ericsson’s thorough report is that mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to double by 2022, with one million new subscribers added everyday. At the end of Q1, there were 7.6 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Of those, 4.6 billion were broadband subscriptions used for smartphones, tablets, or internet of things devices. We’re on track for that number to hit 8.3 billion by 2022 — which is of course great news for mobile app developers.

This steady growth in mobile broadband subscribers is going to be driven by the increasing affordability of smartphones and the expansion of wireless networks. The numbers will also significantly increase as more and more people in Africa, the Middle East, and other regions with relatively low subscriber rates connect to mobile broadband networks. Denver mobile app developers can also expect to see 1.5 billion IoT devices with cellular connections by 2022.

Ericsson’s report gives mobile app developers reason to be optimistic as we move into the 5G era. Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the cusp of an even more connected world with billions of new mobile users. We can’t wait.