It was only a matter of time before our dark fantasies became a reality.
According to live data from the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association), which is the blanket body for all mobile operators worldwide, it appears there are now more mobile connections than there are people all over the world.
As of this publication, there are now over 7.3 billion mobile connections in the world. According to Google, world population is currently estimated at 7.1 billion. Images from the original Terminator movie just flashed before my eyes right now.
Of course, the 7.2 billion figure accounts for machine-to-machine connections and basically every portable device that can connect to the internet, including gaming consoles and smartwatches. Still, quite scary. But if it’s any consolation, the number of unique mobile subscribers is currently put at about 3.6 billion.
Interesting side-note: Nigeria, with a 176 million-strong population, has 126 mobile connections. That’s about 70% of the population. Not to be a doomsayer but, perhaps it’s time we in emerging markets gave up all our “chinco”Dual-SIM phones and opt for the single SIM life?
Photo Credit: Images from SumAll via Compfight cc
