The line graph compares the global user penetration rates of five different modes of communication between 1998 and 2008.
What is most striking when looking at the chart is that all communication services witnessed net increases in their user bases, with cellular phones registering the sharpest rise. Additionally, landline service had consistently secured its position as the most favored communication method during the first two-fifths of the surveyed timeframe before being overtaken by cellular phone service
Focusing first on landlines, cellular phones and Internet, these three services consistently reported higher numbers of users than the remaining modes. At the outset, landlines led with around 15 users per 100 inhabitants, while the corresponding figures for cellular phones and the Internet were relatively tied, both lagging behind landline service by nearly 10 users. Thereafter, however, the user penetration rate of cellular phone service surged and overtook landlines, reaching a high of approximately 70%. Internet service also mirrored the upward momentum observed in cellular phone service, albeit at a lower rate, ending the period at over 20% – a distant second. Landline service’s figure, despite its initial dominance, rose marginally before peaking at under 20%. However, this peak proved to be short-lived, as its user base declined over the subsequent years and nearly revisited its starting point.
Turning to mobile broadband and fixed broadband, these two services exhibited a markedly analogous pattern. Starting at 0, they both saw gradual increases in their user bases to about 5 per 100 individuals by the end of the period. However, it is notable that fixed broadband registered a slightly faster growth and managed to claim a negligible lead during the final four years.