Mobile connections to outgrow world population by 2015: study

The number of mobile phone subscriptions will outnumber the world population by the end of next year, according to a report by a UN agency.

The International Telecommunication Union predicts that cell phone subscriptions will surpass seven billion early in 2014. Currently, there are 6.8 billion mobile phone subscriptions, while the world population stands at 7.1 billion.

More than a third of the global population are online, the ITU World in 2013 report also found.

The Commonwealth of Independent States, the alliance of countries formerly in the Soviet Union, is believed to have the highest mobile penetration with 1.7 subscriptions for every person, the report said.

Africa has the least, with 63 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.

"Every day we are moving closer to having almost as many mobile cellular subscriptions as people on Earth," said Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.

"The mobile revolution is 'm-powering' people in developing countries by delivering ICT applications in education, health, government, banking, environment and business," said Sanou.

The report also found that 2.7 billion people, almost 40 per cent of the world's population, are online.

Europe has the highest penetration (75 per cent), followed by the Americas (61 per cent). Asia (32 per cent), and Africa (16 per cent).