Global internet growth is flat, with the exception of India where growth is accelerating, said Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Remove India from the equation though — where internet usage is up 40 percent this year — and global growth in internet usage slid to 7 percent over the past year. At 277 million users, India has passed the U.S. to become the number 2 global user market behind China.
Advanced penetration in developed markets and the location of new users in developing nations, emerging economies and less affluent places, she said citing data from McKinsey.
"New internet users are going to be harder to find," said Meeker.
Global internet usage grew nine percent this year to reach 42 percent penetration of the world population. There are now 3 billion global internet users, said Meeker.
Countries fall into one of five groups in terms of the barriers they face to adoption: Infrastructure, user capability, low incomes and affordability and incentives.
Meeker went on to discuss a number of economic growth factors that are slowing - from commodity prices to interest rates.
"Adjusting to slower growth and rising population creates risks for all of us," she said. "But also creates opportunity."
"As we all know, the internet can be at the core of this," she said.
CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
