The UN report notes that the charting phenomenon has transformed commerce, healthcare and social lives across the planet. Mobile subscriptions in Africa rose from 54 million to almost 3500 million between 2003 and 2008, the quickest growth in the world.

In Africa, average penetration stands at more than a third of the population, and in North Africa it is almost two-thirds. Gabon, the Seychelles and South Africa now boast almost 100 percent penetration. Only five African countries -- Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia -- still have a penetration of less than 10 per 100 inhabitants.

Growth is expected to remain robust, says the report. The regional cellphone operator MTN forecasts an average cellphone penetration of 80 percent by 2012 in its 15 African markets.

In sub-Saharan Africa, closer to half the population was covered, including 42 percent in rural areas.

The income barrier to cell phone ownership has been reduced thanks to more efficient network equipment and affordable handsets, AfricaNews reporter said. But the report says that to expand coverage into rural and remote areas, government support may be required.

Unattractiveness

"Rural areas in some countries are often economically unattractive for operators to invest in. This is usually not due to a lack of demand but rather to economies of scale."
Cellphones have come as a blessing to those who never had access to landlines because of poor infrastructure.

Other developing regions often boast a broadband penetration 10 times higher than in Africa, where Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia account for 90 percent of all subscriptions.

Head of the ICT analysis section at Unctad, Torbjörn Fredriksson said: "Even though broadband usage is disappointing, there is a good story to tell in Africa about the astonishing growth of mobile telephony, despite the financial crisis. He said such a progress is projected to remain robust as the income barrier to mobile ownership continues to drop.

“This is because operators have made significant investments in infrastructure across the continent. And there appears to be continued interest among investors in expanding and upgrading these networks in Africa,” he said.