Nokia unveiled a strategy to connect the "next billion" people to the Internet

Nokia unveiled a strategy to connect the "next billion" people to the Internet by leveraging its unique capability to provide emerging markets with powerful yet affordable mobile phones and locally relevant Ovi services. Nokia's vision of "Connecting People" beyond telephony was a highlight at the final day of the annual Nokia World event, and complemented yesterday's rollout of a powerful new family of smartphones and updated Ovi services. To demonstrate its commitment to emerging markets, Nokia also updated a portfolio of feature-rich mobile phones and underscored Internet services that cater to a world in which four out of five people are within reach of a cellular signal.

Mary McDowell, Nokia's Executive Vice President for Mobile Phones, said in her keynote the company is ideally placed to capture much of the projected growth in the global marketplace and that the company intends to maintain its leadership in voice and data for the masses.

"More people will join the information age using a mobile phone than a PC," McDowell said. "With approximately 80 percent of the world's population in reach of a cell tower, it is the mobile phone that will offer the first PC-like experience for many of the next billion people who will come online."

She added that Nokia will leverage its local knowledge of consumers, distribution strength and scale to innovate and deliver what consumers deem is valuable at prices they can afford.