The line graph illustrates the proportion of mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants in Africa over a 10-year period (1994–2004). Overall, the subscription rates for both mobile and fixed-line phones experienced upward trends over the given period. While more people preferred fixed-line phones initially, there was a significant shift in favor of mobile phones throughout the span shown.
In 1994, fixed-line phones were significantly more popular in Africa, with 1.7% of the population subscribing, compared to only 0.06% subscribing to mobile phones. Over the following six years, the proportion of fixed-line subscribers grew steadily by 2000, maintaining its position as the dominant means of phone communication with nearly 3%. Meanwhile, the figure for mobile phones increased gradually, reaching 2% by the end of the first half of the period.
By 2001, the proportion of mobile and fixed-line subscribers had nearly equalized at approximately 3%. After this point, the two trends diverged: the percentage of mobile subscribers surged, reaching a staggering 8.8% by 2004, while the proportion of fixed-line subscribers continued its modest increase of 0.3%, reaching just above 3%.