Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Number of Internet users worldwide reaches 2 bln: UN
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Number of Internet users worldwide reaches 2 bln: UN
AFP - Thursday, January 27
Send
IM Story
Print
GENEVA (AFP) - – The number of Internet users worldwide has mushroomed to reach the two billion mark, the head of the UN's telecommunications agency, Hamadoun Toure, said on Wednesday.
The number of mobile phone subscriptions also reached the symbolic threshold of five billion, the secretary general of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) told journalists.
"At the beginning of the year 2000 there were only 500 million mobile subscriptions globally and 250 million Internet users," he said.
"By the beginning of this year 2011 those numbers have mushroomed to over five billion mobile users and two billion subscribers to the Internet," Toure added.
An ITU statistician told AFP that the figure for mobile telephones related to subscriptions.
Fresh data posted online by the agency showed that the estimated number of Internet users had reached 2.08 billion by the end of 2010, compared to 1.86 billion a year earlier.
The estimated number of cellphone subscriptions worldwide reached 5.28 billion at the end of the last year, compared to 4.66 billion at the end of 2009.
"The very high growth in mobile (phones) is slowing and we're reaching the end of double digit growth in mobile," Susan Teltscher, ITU head of market information and statistics, told AFP.
With the world's population exceeding 6.8 billion, nearly one person in three surfs online.
Fifty-seven percent of the users are in developing countries, three years after the ITU reported that Internet use there overtook developed nations.
The number of fixed broadband internet subscriptions in the world passed the half a billion mark for the first time in 2010, reaching 555 million, while the number of mobile broadband subscriptions surged to 940 million.
Meanwhile, fixed telephone landlines declined for the fourth year in a row, dropping just below 1.2 billion.
Asia and the Pacific spearheaded the shift into cyberspace, adding more than 100 million internet users to the global tally to bring the number of Internet users in the region to 857 million -- largely due to China, Teltscher noted.
But the highest density of online surfers in the population is found in Europe, followed by the Americas, former Soviet states and Arab nations, according to the ITU data.
The most rapid online growth in recent years has occurred in the latter two regions.
In Arab states, the estimated number of Internet users has reached 88 million, doubling in the space of about five years.
Growth in Commonwealth of Independent States was even faster: 127 million people used the Internet there last year, compared to 51 million in 2007 according to the ITU estimates.
"They have been catching up because they had lower penetration rates before," Teltscher explained.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Russia calls for NATO probe into Iran cyber strike AFP - 20 minutes ago
US-TECH Summary Reuters - 38 minutes ago
Apple removes banned Nazi anthem from German iTunes Reuters - 38 minutes ago
Mobile apps downloads forecast to double in 2011 AFP - 46 minutes ago
VantagePoint sees big clean tech deals in 2011 Reuters - 49 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Medvedev uses Davos meet as defiant show against terror
BP chief defends new exploration deal
Dow Jones index hits 12,000 points
Boeing fourth-quarter profits slump on lower sales
T. rex still king, says dino study
More Top Stories »
Related Full Coverage
Internet Portals & Search EnginesLatest development in the online world
All Full Coverage »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
T. rex still king, says dino study
BBC World Service axes five language services
Kids who misbehave face trouble as adults: study
British economy suffers shock slump
France signs contested Russia warship deal
More Most Viewed »
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Thursday, 27 January 2011 Unprecedented anti-government protests rock Egypt
NATO, Russia vow unity on terrorism, disagree on shield
Russia fires officials over airport bombing
Egypt protests escalate as US urges concessions
Sony handheld to take on Nintendo DS, smartphones
Secret files 'reveal British plan to weaken Hamas'
Heritage makes giant gas find in Iraqi Kurdistan
Number of Internet users worldwide reaches 2 bln: UN
Studio used by Al Jazeera ransacked in West Bank
Medvedev uses Davos meet as defiant show against terror
Google widens access to Israel's Holocaust archives
Ahmadinejad slams rivals in Iran power struggle
Dow Jones index hits 12,000 points
Bomb found near police station in Belfast
|
Headless Conficker worm lives in computers
Iraqi journalists face sacks of gold, fists of fire
Nuclear weapons risk spreading due to impasse: Ban
|
Boeing fourth-quarter profits slump on lower sales
New Lebanon PM prepares to form govt, streets quiet
Paintballs leave stain on Gaza ship raid tactics
|
Mobile app industry to surge in 2011: Gartner
Mystery WWII photos launch German war crimes probe
|
US roadside bomb casualties rise in Afghanistan
S. Korea to airlift home rescued ship captain
US-TECH Summary
Vietnam ex-communist dissident jailed for 8 years
Sony handheld to take on Nintendo DS, smartphones
Indonesia arrests 'smuggler' over immigrant deaths
French actress Sagnier sees herself as 'free agent'
Consumer tech invades Davos, wider corporate world
|
Microsoft sells 2 million phones in quarter
|
Intel wins EU approval for McAfee deal
|
VantagePoint sees big clean tech deals in 2011
|
Facebook says no major changes in Egypt traffic
|
Apple removes banned Nazi anthem from German iTunes
|
Russia says Stuxnet could have caused new Chernobyl
|
Another lawsuit for the group behind Golden Globes
|
UK university awards first Beatles studies degree
|
Will Smith, Jay-Z team to remake Annie
|
Country music legend Charlie Louvin dies
|
Sundance documentaries offer broad view of the world
|
Oscar extends warm welcome to newcomer nominees
|
US-TECH Summary
Intel wins EU approval for McAfee deal
Russia says Stuxnet could have caused new Chernobyl
Kodak loss mounts on digital sales, shares fall
Facebook says no major changes in Egypt traffic
Obama pushes expanding high-speed wireless service
Google buys SayNow, fflick
New media blocked in Egypt as protesters find new tool
Tablet boom boosts PC market in Q4: Canalys
Consumer tech invades Davos, wider corporate world
U.S. shifts tone, bluntly urges Mubarak to reform now
'Slavic militant' sought over Moscow bombing
Verizon struggles with BlackBerry data traffic
Egypt unrest enters third day, ElBaradei to return
|
US Fed stands firm on stimulus deal
Factbox
Loyalists of ousted Tunisia leader expected to go
|
NY Times details rocky relationship with WikiLeaks
Cruz, Bardem baby boy 'doing great': spokeswoman
Colombia coal mine blast kills 20, regulator says
|
Marooned Miami bay piano strikes odd note
The Decemberists Earn First #1 Album On Billboard With "The King Is Dead"
Facebook lets advertisers 'sponsor' user updates
Paintballs leave stain on Gaza ship raid tactics
Bad eating can give you depression: study
Karzai opens Afghan parliament, taunts West
|
Michael Jacksons doctor pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge
Egypt trade minister cancels Davos trip
Australia imposes new tax to fund flood recovery
|
BP chief defends new exploration deal
Haiti ruling party pulls candidate from election
|
No 'major changes' in traffic from Egypt: Facebook
Muslim birth rate falls, population to grow more slowly
|
Tiananmen duo denounce Hong Kong entry ban
Google buys SayNow, fflick
Australia imposes new tax to fund flood recovery
Netflix profit up, adds more subscribers
Australians face flood recovery tax
Microsoft sells 2 million phone software units
U.S. says Tunisia's government must do more on democracy
China's Li reaches historic Slam final
Russia calls for NATO probe into Iran cyber strike
"Flood" tax an extra headache for Australia retailers
Apple removes banned Nazi anthem from German iTunes
Sony unveils NGP handheld; takes on DS, smartphones
'The Hobbit' delayed as Jackson undergoes surgery
New outcry over charges in China hit-and-run
Mumbai's washermen fear rise of the machines
FCC grants LightSquared airwaves waiver
Sony unveils NGP handheld to take on DS, smartphones
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Special Report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
|
Japan star Kagawa out of Asian Cup final
Oscar race a multimillion-dollar gamble for studios
Nintendo Q3 profit down 46 percent, keeps outlook
|
Chinese fugitive briefly a web sensation
Jimmy Buffett out of Sydney hospital after tumble
Microsoft set to report lower profit on stale PC growth
|
Will Ferrell to appear on "The Office"
Macau tycoon coerced in family brawl, lawyer says
Tablets to make up 10-15 percent of PC market: Lenovo
|
MTV stands by racy teen drama "Skins"
Never any hope of New Zealand mine rescue: coroner
Buffett gets all clear after Australia stage dive
Verizon struggles with BlackBerry data traffic
|
Motorola smartphones disappoint, iPhone already weighs
|
Motley Crue's Neil jailed 15 days for drunk driving
"Teen Mom" hits season-high ratings
Netflix profit jumps as it adds customers; shares up
|
Nissan turns new Leaf with all-electric car
Seoul shares up 0.2 pct; foreign buying helps
Medvedev stands firm on terror at Davos meet
Taiwan stocks end up; chip firms rise on positive outlook
China White Rabbit sweets hop into Lunar New Year
Japan export growth signals recovery
The CWs Vampire Diaries urges fans to Catch VD
Knife-wielding New Yorker holds parents hostage, then surrenders
Challenges remain for booming India
Dow briefly crosses 12,000 mark on strong home sales
CDC: 26 million Americans now suffering from diabetes
Hynix earnings sink on weak chip prices
Government commission says regulators failed in 2008 stock market crash
Penelope Cruz has son with Javier Bardem
|
Fuel price rise hits Korean Air profit
Reports: U.S. proposed resettling Palestinians to South America
Director Jackson's surgery to delay Hobbit filming
|
TN man kidnaps son-in-law, trades him for Xbox 360
Seoul shares up 0.2 pct; foreign buying helps
MTV stands by racy teen drama Skins
|
Abbott to cut 2 percent of workforce; reports 13 percent sales jump
1.7 million Toyota vehicles recalled over fuel leak issues
Kristen Stewart courted for Snow White
|
Jimmy Buffett out of Sydney hospital after tumble
|
UN agency counts 2 billion Internet users
Olsen twins' kid sister a Sundance sensation
|
Oscar race a multimillion-dollar gamble for studios
|
Will Ferrell to appear on The Office
|
Sony unveils NGP handheld to take on DS, smartphones
'Second minor' at Berlusconi parties: report
Mubarak under pressure as protests escalate in Egypt
RIM says no access to corporate email in India
Rosneft, Exxon ink Black Sea exploration deal
At least '1,000 arrested' in Egypt protests
Canon sees 2011 profit up 21 percent on sales jump
Rare Sumatran tiger gives birth to three cubs
Thousands march in Yemen to demand change of government
|
China rabbit cartoon blocked after skewering govt
Bomb at Iraq funeral kills 35, clashes erupt
|
Nintendo Q3 profit down 46 percent, keeps outlook
Hariri bloc will not join new Lebanon government
|
Tablets to make up 10-15 percent of PC market: Lenovo
Ukraine ex-PM faces new charges over vehicles purchase
|
Special Report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
Mandela hospitalization raises concern over health
|
New scandal documents pile pressure on Berlusconi
|
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips
Russian Islamist wanted for Moscow blast: report
|
American kills Pakistani in 'self defence': police
Tennis: Djokovic upsets Federer for new order final
Global Weather-Celsius
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
India's Supreme Court orders government to probe black money
Clijsters, Li set up historic Aus Open final
US-TECH Summary
Indonesia says food security must be G20 priority
Sony's NGP handheld to take on DS and smartphones
Airlines cancel flights to Bali as Indonesia volcano erupts
New letters show human side of J.D. Salinger
Kenyan's mission: solar lamps to empower the poor
Facebook denies to launch branded phones with HTC
|
Suzhou hotel launches most expensive New Year's Eve dinner in China
Prestigious line-up for 20th Enescu music festival
There's something about 'Kristie'
When will your tax refund arrive? There's an app for that
|
Kristen Stewart courted for "Snow White"
COMMENTARY: Thai PM could end up with egg on his face
Director Jackson's surgery to delay "Hobbit" filming
Taiwan's Jay Chou spices up 'The Green Hornet'
AT&T shares fall on disappointing results
|
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
|
RIM says no access to corporate email in India
|
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips
|
Pakistan's forex reserves jump to record $17.3 bln
S.Korea fin min: inflation is top policy priority
Japan's credit rating downgraded
Sony unveils new 'NGP' portable PlayStation
Canon net profit nearly doubles
China's first Disney Store to open in 2012
Nintendo nine-month net profit plunges 74.3%
Carrie Fisher is fat but not like Jabba the Hutt
|
Chinese tycoon hands out cash in Taiwan
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
Lenovo and NEC may work on smartphone development
Lenovo, NEC in Japanese joint venture to sell PCs
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights