the importance of infrastructure and connectivity is recognized by sustainable development goal sdg on industry innovation and infrastructure the chapter looks at fixed and mobile broadband prices and the affordability of services in developed and developing regions in addition to addressing supplyside barriers it examines demandside barriers outside the ict ecosystem including broader socioeconomic inequalities digital and analogue skills and the availability of relevant local content the steep rise in mobilecellular subscriptions worldwide which began early in this century is tailing off as the global penetration rate approaches subscriptions per inhabitants at the same time there has been a gradual decline in the penetration rate for fixedtelephone subscriptions owing to the tendency for new users to prefer mobile over fixed lines