Staying Connected: How Adult Literacy, Education and Income Influence Mobile Phone Use

It is now well established that global mobile phone penetration has occurred at a staggering rate since these devices were first introduced commercially in 1983. Mobile phones have out-diffused virtually every prior technology, including bicycles, radios, television sets, wallets, wire-line phones and wristwatches, and in just twenty-five years. ¹ This surge in global mobile phone penetration—particularly in emerging markets—warrants further study in order to better understand the penetration rates between countries with very high, medium and low levels of human development.