Consumers across the globe have been quick to embrace mobile phones despite international boundaries and technology experts say this is one of the fastest technologies to catch on in the modern era. Given their portability and utilitarian nature, it comes as no surprise that mobile phones would be a popular consumer electronic on the international market place. Mobile phone manufacturers have been working to release smaller, cheaper models and as a result have seen their profits soar as demand continually out paces supply in this sector of the hi tech market. As more countries begin to install cellular towers and other critical infrastructure, the subscriber base of large providers is expanding at a rapid pace. Satellite relay systems have enabled the new generation of mobile phones to offer not only global service, but GPS units built in to assist with navigation, a feature many consumers in wilderness areas have prized.

Due to extensive demand for cheap mobile phones in nations where economic standards are not as high as the Europe, the UK and the US, mobile phone companies have set about expanding not only their coverage areas, but lowering the price of the coverage as well. Since fewer citizens in the lower income nations are able to afford phones, traffic on these networks is lower thus enabling providers to charger lower rates for their services since there are fewer opportunities to overload their network. Even in Africa, a continent typically behind in technological advancements, mobile phone usage is skyrocket to out pace Asia, making Africa the fastest growing continent on Earth in terms of mobile phone adoption with a 500 per cent increase in subscribers between 2003 and 2008.