"Six years ago, about a third of the world’s population were using mobile internet. Today, it is more than half. Despite this progress, the pandemic has highlighted how big gaps in connectivity persist, even in high-income markets. 3.8 billion people still do not have access to the internet – due to a lack of mobile broadband coverage or because of other barriers, including a lack of awareness of the internet and its benefits, lack of literacy and the required skills, affordability, lack of perceived relevance, and safety and security concerns. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2021 highlights trends in the coverage and usage of mobile internet over the last six years and the key barriers to mobile internet adoption. It also looks at the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest regional changes and the key challenges to address to ensure everyone can connect to the internet." (Executive summary)