According to United Nations statistics, by the end of 2010, the number of Internet users will reach two billion. And this is neither more nor less than a third of the world's population. The number of Internet users has doubled over the past five years, with most of the newcomers coming from developing countries. Although people in developing countries are acquiring the Internet at a rapid pace, by the end of 2010, the total number of Internet users will be only 21% of the total population, while developed countries can boast statistics of 71%.
The development of the Internet is recognized by experts as a positive factor influencing the overall development of the economy and technology, creating new jobs and increasing productivity. Advances in technology are expected to drive down the cost of the Internet, which is now unreasonably high in low-income countries. The most "expensive" Internet among developing countries today is in the Central African Republic, the cost of accessing online there is almost 40 times the average monthly income of the population. The lowest prices are recorded in Macau (China) - 0.3% of the average monthly income.
The rapid development of mobile technologies also played a significant role in attracting users to the Web; an increasing number of people can purchase a relatively inexpensive device and access the Internet. According to statistics, the number of mobile network users has already reached 90% of the entire population of the Earth.
