The line chart illustrates the subscription rates of landline and mobile services in Africa between 1995 and 2004.
Overall, while fixed-line telephony experienced only a modest and steady increase, mobile subscriptions, after a slow start, grew rapidly from the late 1990s onwards and eventually overtook landlines to become the dominant form of communication.
From 1995 to 2000, landline usage rose gradually, climbing from 1.7 subscribers per 100 inhabitants to just under 3. This growth, however, was relatively limited compared with that of mobile phones. In the same period, mobile subscriptions began at a negligible 0.06% and remained almost unchanged until 1997, before rising sharply to surpass landlines at 3.1% in 2001.
After 2001, the number of fixed-line subscribers leveled off, finishing at around 3.1% in 2004. By contrast, mobile usage surged dramatically during the same period, nearly tripling to reach 8.8% by the end of the decade, thereby consolidating its position as the leading communication service in Africa.