MINISTRY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS Chapter 3 – Current context 3.1.1 The impact of ICT on economic development The use of the Internet has revolutionized people’s way of interacting and of these with the outside world. Connectivity is a priority for countries today since it gives access to a platform allowing the collaboration, innovation and promoting different interaction mechanisms in the economic, political and social fields. According to data from the International Telecommunications Union, “Measuring the Information Society, 2015” (ITU) the proportion of the world’s population covered by mobile and cellular networks is now over 95 %, while the number of mobile cellular subscriptions has increased from 2 .200 million in 2005 to 7.100 million in 2015”.2 Chart 1 Changes of the main ICT at world level, 2000-2015* *Estimates. Source: ITU. Taken from: Measuring the Information Society, 2015 2 Report on the Measurement of the Information Society 2015. International Telecommunication Union. (Available at: https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/D-IND-ICTOI-2015-SUM-PDF-S.pdf. Page 1. - 14 www.micitt.go.cr