The United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union is estimating that by the end of this year, 3.9 billion people–or 51.2 percent of the global population–will be using the internet. The figure for developed countries will total 80.9 percent, with developing countries coming in at 45.3 percent, ITU said. “ITU’s global and regional estimates for 2018 are a pointer to the great strides the world is making towards building a more inclusive global information society,” said Houlin Zhao, ITU’s Secretary General, in a statement. “By the end of 2018, we will surpass the 50/50 milestone for Internet use. This represents an important step towards a more inclusive global information society. However, far too many people around the world are still waiting to reap the benefits of the digital economy. We must encourage more investment from the public and private sectors and create a good environment to attract investments, and support technology and business innovation so that the digital revolution leaves no one offline,” he said.
