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96
l i s t s
Economic development used to be a decent predictor of access to modern telecommunications
(measured in the form of telephone lines) and vice versa. But mobile phones have changed
that. Bulgaria, with onethird the living standard of Germany, has greater cell penetration; by
the same measure, Jamaica tops Japan. Meanwhile, Nepal, among the poorest countries on
earth, has almost as many cell phones per capita as middleincome Mexico.
By contrast, Internet use correlates pretty well with income computer literacy, or maybe
the cost of the hardware seem to be significant barriers in poor countries. But the laggards
among middle and upperincome countries on this list Germany, Saudi Arabia, Botswana,
South Africa suggest that culture plays an independent role.
The Milken Institute Review
Busy Signals
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GDP Per Person
(PurchasinG Power TelePhone lanDlines mobile Phone subscribers inTerneT users
counTry
in $1,000)
(Per 100 resiDenTs)
(Per 100 resiDenTs)
(Per 100 resiDenTs)
Norway
59
44
109
82
UnitedStates
46
57
77
69
Germany
34
66
104
47
Japan
33
43
79
68
SouthKorea
28
50
84
73
SaudiArabia
20
16
78
19
Russia
15
31
105
18
Mexico
13
18
53
19
Botswana
12
8
56
5
Bulgaria
12
31
108
22
Brazil
10
21
53
23
SouthAfrica
10
10
83
11
Jamaica
8
13
94
29
China
7
28
35
10
Guatemala
5
11
56
10
India
3
4
15
11
Nepal
1
2
42
1
sources:
UN Statistical Yearbook 2008