3 billion people have cell phones worldwide, and by 2008 half of the world's population will live in cities!

3 billion people have cell phones worldwide, and by 2008 half of the world's population will live in cities!
...but what is the proprotion of the world's population is that?

...but what is the proprotion of the world's population is that?


Just under half.  The population is about 6.6 billion and rising

http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop

Just under half.  The population is about 6.6 billion and rising

http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop
So I belong to the (about) half that does not own a mobile phone.

... and within the next 30 years, around 3 billion people will be added to the population again, do you think all of them will have cell phones?

... and within the next 30 years, around 3 billion people will be added to the population again, do you think all of them will have cell phones?
...but what is the proportion of the phones are either in use or being re-charged?

... and within the next 30 years, around 3 billion people will be added to the population again, do you think all of them will have cell phones?


  wow, we really need to get to work on colonizing mars.

  wow, we really need to get to work on colonizing mars.
With all these mobile phones around, at least we can remain in contact with each other.

With all these mobile phones around, at least we can remain in contact with each other.


and then what will you do? a land line call from earth to mars is indeed long distance. good luck calling your favorite martian with a home phone

and then what will you do? a land line call from earth to mars is indeed long distance. good luck calling your favorite martian with a home phone


But free mobile to mobile.  ;D

But free mobile to mobile.  ;D
Not all the time?

Not all the time?


Actually, if I call somebody on the same network as me, it's always free.

I don't believe the number is anywhere near as high as 3 billion.

The mobile phones have a 11 digit number (in the UK starting with 07), so 07XXX-XXXXXX and 3 billion has (taking it to be a million millions) 13 digits, X,XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. What is the size of the phones numbers around the rest of the world, the numbers will not cope?

In this day and age, it seems like people have become dependant on cell phones; It's as though can't live without one.  For this reason alone is why I don't and will not ever have a cellphone

Speaking of phones, around here, Payphones now cost 50c to use >:(

The mobile phones have a 11 digit number (in the UK starting with 07), so 07XXX-XXXXXX and 3 billion has (taking it to be a million millions) 13 digits, X,XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. What is the size of the phones numbers around the rest of the world, the numbers will not cope?


Right now in the U.S a cell phone number has 10 digits, that is including the area code that you have to put in front of a cell phone because obviously they do not recognize long distance as a differential.

The mobile phones have a 11 digit number (in the UK starting with 07), so 07XXX-XXXXXX and 3 billion has (taking it to be a million millions) 13 digits, X,XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. What is the size of the phones numbers around the rest of the world, the numbers will not cope?

There are vast populated swaths of the planet that were never wired for landline service.  More than a billion people have never even used a telephone once in their lives. That's citing George Will in 2000, so it's probably a "conservative" estimate!  I've heard estimates as high as 2.5 billion.  In any case, it's a gigantic number.  When and if these areas without telephone service do get phone service, it is now cell technology because it has become cheaper and easier since the mid '90s. 

Remember, in some desperate corners of the globe, it's easier to get Coca-Cola than it is potable water!*

I'm not going to be a technophile and say cell phones in the Third World are a sign of good things to come...not necessarily.

* In fact, the Coca-Cola company is trying to monopolize the water supply in much of the Third World while Monsanto forces genetically engineered single-generation seeds on the farmers...
But we're getting too political here!
:-X

There are vast populated swaths of the planet that were never wired for landline service.  More than a billion people have never even used a telephone once in their lives. That's citing George Will in 2000, so it's probably a "conservative" estimate!  I've heard estimates as high as 2.5 billion.  In any case, it's a gigantic number.   When and if these areas without telephone service do get phone service, it is now cell technology because it has become cheaper and easier since the mid '90s. 

Remember, in some desperate corners of the globe, it's easier to get Coca-Cola than it is potable water!*

I'm not going to be a technophile and say cell phones in the Third World are a sign of good things to come...not necessarily.

* In fact, the Coca-Cola company is trying to monopolize the water supply in much of the Third World while Monsanto forces genetically engineered single-generation seeds on the farmers...
But we're getting too political here!
:-X
Now if the mobile phones can be powered by Coca-Cola, what a different world it would be.

Now if the mobile phones can be powered by Coca-Cola, what a different world it would be.

You might not be too far off...

I wouldn't be surpised if corporations teamed up with cell service providers and offered discounts to consumers who would download commercial jingles as ringtones!
::)