The line graphs illustrate the trajectories of mobile and fixed-line telephone subscriptions in Eritrea, India, the UK and Uruguay between 2005 and 2015.
Overall, mobile phone penetration experienced a dramatic escalation in most nations, whereas fixed-line usage either stagnated or declined. India and Uruguay witnessed particularly striking increases in mobile subscriptions, while Eritrea and the UK exhibited more modest or stable patterns.
In terms of mobile phones, India registered the most precipitous growth, soaring from below 10 per hundred people in 2005 to nearly 80 by 2015. Uruguay followed a similarly sharp upward trajectory, eclipsing 150 subscriptions per hundred in 2013 before levelling off. By contrast, Eritrea’s progress was negligible, with figures creeping from almost zero to around 10 within the decade. The UK, starting from a relatively high base of about 100 subscriptions, demonstrated a plateau after 2008, settling at roughly 120 by the end of the period.
As for fixed telephone lines, the UK maintained the highest rates throughout, though its figures exhibited a gradual erosion from 55 to just below 50. Uruguay, conversely, displayed a marginal but discernible increase, climbing from 25 to over 30. Eritrea’s numbers remained largely stagnant at a minimal level, while India showed only a slight upward drift.
In sum, mobile technology not only surged globally but also overshadowed the traditional landline, particularly in India and Uruguay, while Eritrea remained persistently behind.