Key Details
Closing the Mobile Connectivity Gap in Developing Asia and the Pacific, conducted by GSMA Intelligence for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), combines consumer-survey evidence from India with estimates for 42 developing markets across Asia and the Pacific. The India percentages describe surveyed respondents; the regional figures describe coverage, investment needs and projected benefits.
India Survey Findings
Among adults who knew about mobile internet but did not use it, 17% named reading or writing difficulties as their main barrier, followed by scams or fraud (9%), handset cost (8%) and data cost (7%).
Among existing mobile internet users, scams or fraud (10%) and data cost (9%) were among the reported barriers to using it more.
Regional Findings and Projections
Coverage versus use: 98% of the population lived within 4G coverage in 2025, yet about 1.1 billion people remained offline despite mobile broadband coverage. Another 100 million lacked coverage.
Investment to 2030: The study estimates $316 billion is needed to meet its connectivity target. It expects $132 billion under current conditions, leaving a $184 billion gap.
Potential economic gain: Meeting the target could add around $230 billion to regional gross domestic product by 2030.
India’s First-Use Barrier Is Not Simply the Price of a Phone
The India survey gives the regional coverage finding a more useful policy meaning. Among respondents who knew mobile internet existed but had not used it, reading and writing difficulties were cited more often than handset or data costs as the main obstacle. A person may therefore live within network coverage and still need practical help to get online.
Trust matters too. Fraud was a reported barrier both for non-users and for people already online. The report also identifies locally relevant content and services as a challenge in linguistically diverse countries, including India. More coverage, cheaper devices, usable services and confidence in using them address different parts of the same problem.
The Region’s Largest Gap Is Between Coverage and Use
Mobile internet use across developing Asia and the Pacific rose from 62% in 2020 to 71% in 2025. Network reach is much higher: 98% of the population lives within 4G coverage. The study therefore distinguishes the usage gap—people within coverage who remain offline—from the smaller coverage gap of people a network has yet to reach.
Those gaps require different responses. Remote areas still need connections. Where networks already exist, the study places greater weight on affordable devices, digital skills, safety and relevant content. Under current conditions, it projects that 77% of adults will use 4G or 5G mobile internet by 2030, short of the 95% target used in its analysis.
Device and Skills Costs Drive Much of the Funding Estimate
The $184 billion regional investment gap is not solely a network-construction bill. Devices and basic digital-skills training account for 56% of it; additional network capacity would also be needed to serve new users. The estimate does not cover wider investment in 5G, 6G or fixed networks.
Its size depends on costs. The model assumes $100 per user for a usable device and associated costs and $40 per person for basic training. Reducing those assumptions to $50 and $20 respectively would bring the estimated gap down to $119 billion. That is a cost scenario, not a forecast of what governments will spend or what devices will cost.
Policy Relevance
For India, the report makes network coverage an incomplete measure of digital inclusion. In an area with a usable signal but low adoption, a new tower may not address the barrier identified by potential users. Evidence on literacy, device affordability, safety and language can help determine which intervention is relevant.
The distinction also matters for public funding. The report identifies India among countries using universal-service support for adoption as well as coverage. Such programmes can be assessed not only by infrastructure built, but by whether people previously offline can begin using useful services safely and independently.
Follow the Full Report Here: Closing the Mobile Connectivity Gap in Developing Asia and the Pacific