Exploring the patterns and determinants of the global mobile divide

• The global mobile divide has decreased during the past 23 years.
• Average income level had a negative correlation with mobile phone adoption rate.
• Average income had a positive correlation with mobile phone penetration level.

This study explores the patterns of the global mobile divide and the factors that influenced it. It proposes a comprehensive framework to explain mobile phone adoption by integrating technology acceptance model (TAM) and economic consumption analysis. The empirical analysis is conducted using the data from more than 150 countries. The results show that the gaps of mobile phone penetration among different groups of income level countries have decreased during the past 23 years. Average income had a negative correlation with mobile phone adoption rate, represented by the slope of mobile phone diffusion curve. However, average income had a positive correlation with mobile phone penetration, suggesting that there are still gaps of mobile phone penetration between rich and poor countries. Besides average income, other factors, such as legacy phone system, population density, and education level, were also demonstrated to have influence on mobile phone penetration. The framework and findings of this study suggest the potentials for the integration among consumption analysis, diffusion of innovation theory (DIT), and TAM. Strategies for further bridging the global mobile divide are suggested based on the empirical findings.