Worldwide Diffusion of the Cellular Telephone, 1995–2005

The mobile telephone is one of the most widely adopted innovations of the late twentieth century. We examine the worldwide diffusion of the cellular telephone during a decade of explosive growth. We evaluate the influences of competition, location, and wealth on global and regional variations in cell phone penetration and address the role that cultural differences play in technology adoption and use. Telephony measures in the analysis vary significantly by competition type and by region, although gross national product per capita explains more than 75 percent of variation in cell phone penetration rates globally and nearly 90 percent in Asia.