Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) has announced that by 2020 the number of mobile phone users will increase by one billion, with a 4 percent increase per year.
The association pointed out that by 2020, 60 percent of the world's population will have subscriptions to mobile phone services.
During the World Radiocommunication Conference in Barcelona, GSMA revealed a study that showed people's high reliance on smart phones and the rapid rate at which they are switching over to third and fourth generation services.
With the continued expansion of phone services, the mobile industry is expected to make a large contribution to the international GDP, by providing job opportunities and improving living conditions for billions around the world, says GSMA.
In a report published in January 2014, research company eMarketer said it expected 4.55 billion people would use cell phones in 2014.
"Between 2013 and 2017, mobile phone penetration will rise from 61.1 percent to 69.4 percent of the global population," said the report.
The report mentioned that 48.9 percent of cell phone users would use mobile Internet services at least once a month in 2014, rising to over 50 percent in 2015.
