Indicator 9.c.1 - Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology
When data sources are populated, the table will appear here
Global Metadata
This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the United Nations Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata documentation on all indicators in Goal 9, unless otherwise noted, is provided by the UN Statistics Division.
| SDG Indicator Name | Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology |
|---|---|
| SDG Target Addressed | Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020. |
| Definition of SDG Indicator | The indicator percentage of the population covered by a mobile network, broken down by technology, refers to the percentage of inhabitants living within range of a mobile-cellular signal, irrespective of whether or not they are mobile phone subscribers or users. This is calculated by dividing the number of inhabitants within range of a mobile-cellular signal by the total population and multiplying by 100. The indicator is based on where the population lives, and not where they work or go to school, etc. When there are multiple operators offering the service, the maximum population number covered should be reported. Coverage should refer to broadband (3G and more) and narrowband (2G) mobile-cellular technologies and include: 2G mobile population coverage: Mobile networks with access to data communications (e.g. Internet) at downstream speeds below 256 kbit/s. This includes mobile-cellular technologies such as GPRS, CDMA2000 1x and most EDGE implementations. The indicator refers to the theoretical ability of subscribers to use non-broadband speed mobile data services, rather than the number of active users of such services. 3G and above mobile-population coverage: Refers to the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions with access to data communications (e.g. the Internet) at broadband downstream speeds (defined here as greater than or equal to 256 kbit/s). The indicator refers to the theoretical ability of subscribers to use broadband speed mobile data services, rather than the number of active users of such services. This includes all high-speed mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions with access to data communications, and includes mobile-cellular technologies such as WCDMA (UMTS) and associated technologies such as HSPA, CDMA2000 1x EV-DO, mobile WiMAX 802.16e and LTE. It excludes low-speed mobilebroadband subscriptions and fixed (wired) Internet subscriptions. As technologies evolve and as more and more countries will deploy and commercialize more advanced mobilebroadband networks (4G, 5G etc.), the indicator will include further breakdowns. ITU collects data for this indicator through an annual questionnaire from national telecommunication regulatory authorities or Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministries, who collect the data from licensed mobile-cellular operators. However, they are likely to have different levels and locations of coverage. Another method would be to request each operator's coverage maps, which can be overlaid with maps showing the population of the country. |
| UN Designated Tier | 1 |
| UN Custodial Agency | ITU |
U.S. Metadata
This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from U.S. statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from U.S. statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other US-specific metadata information
| Method of computation for global SDG indicator | |
|---|---|
| Graph Title | Percentage of the U.S. population covered by at least a 3G mobile network |
| Actual indicator available | Percentage of the U.S. population covered by at least a 3G mobile network |
| Description of actual indicator available | The definition for the FCC indicator asks for data on broadband (3G and more) and narrowband (2G) coverage. |
| Method of computation | |
| Comments and limitations | The FCC’s Wireless Bureau releases an annual report, the Mobile Wireless Competition Report, that usually includes these data. As we recently reported to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the percentage of the U.S. population covered by at least a 3G mobile network is 99.9%. |
| Periodicity | |
| Time Period | |
| Unit of measure | |
| Disaggregation #1 (Industry or social categories) | |
| Disaggregation #2 (Geographical coverage) | |
| Date of public data release from National source | |
| Date of last Update of This Page | |
| Scheduled Update by National source | |
| Scheduled Update by SDG Team | |
| Data Source1 (Agency STAFF NAME) | |
| Data Source2 (Staff E-MAIL) | |
| Data Source3 (Agency/Survey/Dataset name) | FCC Wireless Bureau's annual report |
| Indicator web address (closest to data provided) | https://www.fcc.gov/wireless-telecommunications |
| International and National References |