The number of mobile broadband users in the world will exceed fixed-line users by the end of this year, the United Nations said today.

The rapid growth of smart mobile phones and cheap laptops — as well as a rapidly expanding wi-fi network — will see global mobile broadband subscriptions hit 600 million as opposed to the 500 million fixed-line subscriptions.

Much of the growth has come in developing areas such as India, Africa and South America where there is little in the way of traditional fixed-line networks.

Mobile broadband lags behind fixed line in both terms of speed and the number and quality of services available to subscribers, said the UN's International Telecom Union.

Mobile telephony growth has outstripped traditional fixed line since 1999 as it has become cheaper and coverage has expanded. Today, the ITU said, 70% of the world's population have some kind of mobile phone subscription contrasting with fixed line which has dwindled to just 1.1 billion connections or 40%.