| The world is mobile first and here's why that matters Will McKitterick | December 30, 2015 Want to receive more free charts from BI Intelligence? Sign up here » When Benedict Evans proclaimed mobile is eating the world, he wasn't exaggerating. A fixed broadband connection over a desktop computer was the original gateway to the internet for users in most developed countries, but the vast majority of the world logs online via a mobile device. In fact, mobile is truly driving global internet adoption. The below chart records the astounding growth in internet connectivity that has occurred over the past decade, the vast majority of which was due to mobile devices. 
One excellent example of this ongoing phenomenon is India, the world's third largest smartphone market. The vast majority (85%) of those who access the internet in India do so using a mobile device, according to new data from GlobalWebInex. 
This has profound implications for brands, advertisers, and publishers looking to tap into the 1.25 billion people living in India. Granted, the vast majority of the population doesn't have access to the internet — GWI estimates that fewer than 20% of citizens are connected. But that share is growing due in large part to the proliferation of affordable mobile devices. Nevertheless, companies still face barriers related to the computing power of mobile devices when attempting to reach users in developing countries even as we make progress in our attempt to bridge the technological divide. Most mobile devices in countries like India are less powerful than the premiere devices in developed markets. Users also have less access to large data packages, limiting the amount of content they can consume on their phones. This problem is being addressed by the likes of Facebook and Google whose internet.org and Loon projects, respectively, are attempting to address gaps in access. While Google plans to increase access to high speed internet, Facebook is betting that a stripped-down lite version of its social network will resonate with users — as long as it isn't shot down by regulators. Operators will need to figure out how to deal with the limitations of mobile devices that constrain users in these countries to utilize the web in the same way people can in developed markets if the untapped potential of burgeoning markets like India is to be reached. We expect to see many more schemes in the vein of internet.org unfold in 2016 and in coming years as new markets (such as India, Indonesia, and other South East Asian countries) come online. Get Daily Industry Insights with the INSIDER Newsletters from BI Intelligence Do you need to stay ahead of the latest trends in digital? Subscribe to the daily INSIDER newsletters covering mobile, digital media, e-commerce, payments and the Internet of Things. Select your INSIDER edition or subscribe to all five.
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