Closing the digital divide: who will invest in universal access?

It is estimated that by 2007 the milestone of two billion mobile users will be achieved, with the three billion mark being claimed as a realistic target for 2010. This in turn bodes well for the goal of 50% access to telecommunications by 2015, set by the WSIS initiative. However the barrier appears to be a workable model for connecting these people to the network. The World Bank suggests that 77% of the world’s population already lives within range of a mobile network. Whilst most wealthy economic states have already been targeted and serviced, for the next stage to be accomplished growth must take place in other markets.