About the data
5.11
STATES AND MARKETS
Power and communications Definitions
The quality of an economy’s infrastructure, includ-
growth was driven primarily by wireless technologies
• Electric power consumption per capita is the pro-
ing power and communications, is an important ele-
and liberalization of telecommunications markets,
duction of power plants and combined heat and power
ment in investment decisions for both domestic and
which have enabled faster and less costly network
plants less transmission, distribution, and transfor-
foreign investors. Government effort alone is not
rollout. Developing countries’ share of world mobile
mation losses and own use by heat and power plants,
enough to meet the need for investments in modern
subscriptions rose from 53 percent in 2005 to 73
divided by midyear population. • Electric power
infrastructure; public-private partnerships, especially
percent in 2010. And the number of short message
transmission and distribution losses are losses in
those involving local providers and financiers, are
service texts sent globally tripled between 2007 and
transmission between sources of supply and points
critical for lowering costs and delivering value for
2010, from 1.8 trillion to 6.1 trillion. The Interna-
of distribution and in distribution to consumers,
money. In telecommunications, competition in the
tional Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that
including pilferage. • Fixed-telephone subscriptions
marketplace, along with sound regulation, is lower-
there were 5.9 billion mobile subscriptions globally in
are the sum of the active number of analog fixed-
ing costs, improving quality, and easing access to
2011. No technology has ever spread faster around
telephone lines, voice-over-IP subscriptions, fixed
services around the globe.
the world. Mobile communications have a particu-
wireless local loop subscriptions, Integrated Ser-
An economy’s production and consumption of elec-
larly important impact in rural areas. The mobility,
vices Digital Network voice-channel equivalents, and
tricity are basic indicators of its size and level of
ease of use, flexible deployment, and relatively low
fixed public payphones. • Mobile cellular telephone
development. Although a few countries export elec-
and declining rollout costs of wireless technologies
subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile
tric power, most production is for domestic consump-
enable them to reach rural populations with low lev-
telephone service using cellular technology, which
tion. Expanding the supply of electricity to meet the
els of income and literacy. The next billion mobile
provide access to the public switched telephone
growing demand of increasingly urbanized and indus-
subscribers will consist mainly of the rural poor.
network. Post-paid and prepaid subscriptions are
trialized economies without incurring unacceptable
Access is the key to delivering telecommunications
included. • International voice traffic is the sum of
social, economic, and environmental costs is one
services to people. If the service is not affordable
international incoming and outgoing telephone traffic
of the great challenges facing developing countries.
to most people, goals of universal usage will not be
(in minutes) divided by total population. • Population
Data on electric power production and consumption
met. Two indicators of telecommunications afford-
covered by mobile cellular network is the percentage
are collected from national energy agencies by the
ability are presented in the table: fi xed- telephone
of people that live in areas served by a mobile cellular
International Energy Agency (IEA) and adjusted by the
service tariff and prepaid mobile cellular service
signal regardless of whether they use it. • Residen-
IEA to meet international definitions (for data on elec-
tariff. Telecommunications efficiency is measured
tial fixed-telephone tariff is the monthly subscription
tricity production, see table 3.8). Electricity consump-
by total telecommunications revenue divided by GDP
charge plus the cost of 30 three-minute local calls
tion is equivalent to production less power plants’ own
and by mobile cellular and fixed- telephone subscrip-
(15 peak and 15 off-peak). • Mobile cellular prepaid
use and transmission, distribution, and transformation
tions per employee.
tariff is based on the Organisation for Economic Co-
losses less exports plus imports. It includes consump-
Operators have traditionally been the main source
operation and Development’s low-user definition,
tion by auxiliary stations, losses in transformers that
of telecommunications data, so information on
which includes the cost of monthly mobile use for
are considered integral parts of those stations, and
subscriptions has been widely available for most
25 outgoing calls per month spread over the same
electricity produced by pumping installations. Where
countries. This gives a general idea of access, but a
mobile network, other mobile networks, and mobile
data are available, it covers electricity generated by
more precise measure is the penetration rate—the
to fixed- telephone calls and during peak, off-peak,
primary sources of energy—coal, oil, gas, nuclear,
share of households with access to telecommunica-
and weekend times as well as 30 text messages per
hydro, geothermal, wind, tide and wave, and combus-
tions. During the past few years more information
month. • Telecommunications revenue is the rev-
tible renewables. Neither production nor consumption
on information and communication technology use
enue from the provision of telecommunications ser-
data capture the reliability of supplies, including break-
has become available from household and business
vices such as fixed telephone, mobile, and Internet
downs, load factors, and frequency of outages.
surveys. Also important are data on actual use of
divided by GDP. • Mobile cellular and fixed-telephone
Over the past decade new financing and technol-
telecommunications services. Ideally, statistics on
subscriptions per employee are telephone subscrip-
ogy, along with privatization and market liberalization,
telecommunications (and other information and com-
tions (fixed telephone plus mobile) divided by the total
have spurred dramatic growth in telecommunications
munications technologies) should be compiled for all
number of telecommunications employees.
in many countries. With the rapid development of
three measures: subscriptions, access, and use. The
mobile telephony and the global expansion of the
quality of data varies among reporting countries as
Internet, information and communication technolo-
a result of differences in regulations covering data
Data on electricity consumption and losses are
gies are increasingly recognized as essential tools of
provision and availability.
from the IEA’s Energy Statistics of Non-OECD
Data sources
development, contributing to global integration and
Countries 2011, Energy Balances of Non-OECD
enhancing public sector effectiveness, efficiency,
Countries 2011, and Energy Statistics of OECD
and transparency. The table presents telecommuni-
Countries 2011 and from the United Nations Sta-
cations indicators covering access and use, quality,
tistics Division’s Energy Statistics Yearbook. Data
and affordability and efficiency.
on telecommunications are from the ITU’s World
Access to telecommunication services rose on an unprecedented scale over the past 15 years. This
Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database and TeleGeography.
2012 World Development Indicators
327