The line graph compares the proportion of African residents subscribing to 2 types of communication, namely fixed and mobile between 1994 and 2004.
Overall, both types of phone services experienced an upward trend throughout the period, with mobile subscriptions rising far more sharply than fixed-line ones. By the end of the period, mobile phones had become significantly more common.
At the start of the period, fixed-line phones were more widely used, standing at around 1.7 subscribers per 100 people, compared with a negligible 0.06 for mobile phones. Over the following seven years, mobile subscriptions grew steadily to reach 3 per 100 inhabitants, while fixed-line usage increased more modestly to approximately 2.8.
Between 2001 and 2004, the gap between the two services widened considerably. Mobile subscriptions rose dramatically, peaking at 8.8 users per 100 inhabitants in 2004. In contrast, fixed-line phone use continued to grow only gradually, reaching a modest 3.1 by the end of the period.