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Report: 90 Percent of the World Age 6 and Older Will Have a Cellphone in Less Than Six Years

Report: 90 Percent of the World Age 6 and Older Will Have a Cellphone in Less Than Six Years

"The world will be connected like never before."

If you think kids' use of technology is stunning today, consider the latest statistic from a communications technology company about how many people by a certain age will own cellphones in five years.

According to Ericsson, 90 percent of the whole world's population older than 6 years old will have a mobile phone by 2020.

A new technology report estimates that 90 percent of the world population older than 6 years old will own a mobile phone by 2020. (Photo credit: Shutterstock) A new technology report estimates that 90 percent of the world population older than 6 years old will own a mobile phone by 2020. (Photo credit: Shutterstock)

"The falling cost of handsets, coupled with improved usability and increasing network coverage, are factors that are making mobile technology a global phenomenon that will soon be available to the vast majority of the world's population, regardless of age or location," Rima Qureshi, senior vice president and Ericsson chief strategy officer, said in a statement. "The Ericsson Mobility Report shows that in 2020 the world will be connected like never before."

Consumer Reports noted in 2012 that six out of 10 children age 8 through 12 had a mobile phone of some sort. At that time, 89 percent of parents whose tweens had cellphones did not regret getting them the technology, which they reported using for safety and tracking.

Though it might seem like everyone has a smartphone these days, as opposed to a traditional cellphone, Ericsson noted in its mobility report that just 37 percent of mobile phone subscriptions are for smartphones. That's something it too believes will change.

By 2020, Ericsson forecasted that smartphones will account for 6.1 billion subscriptions, up from 2.7 billion currently. To put that number into perspective, the current world population is estimated to be about 7.1 billion people.

Image source: Ericsson Image source: Ericsson

Ericsson projected video traffic will account for 55 percent of all data use by 2020, with social networking comprising 15 percent, Web browsing 5 percent and audio, like music streaming, 2 percent.

At this point, India and China have the fastest growth for new subscriptions.

Watch this video for more on the mobility report's findings:

(H/T: Daily Mail)

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