[eccr] 200m Europeans to be online by 2006

Title: 200m Europeans to be online by 2006

200m Europeans to be online by 2006

A new report predicts that internet penetration in Europe will hit 67
per cent in four years, up from just 39 per cent in 2001.


The number of online users in Europe is expected to reach more than 200m by the end of 2006 , a new report by Forrester Research says. 

A need to communicate and falling hardware and connection prices are expected to spur Europeans to get online, as internet penetration is predicted to hit 67 per cent, up from 39 per cent last year. 

The report says Germany will lead with 70 per cent of its population, or 48.5m people, as regular internet users in 2006. 

France and Italy are to show the biggest increase in new, regular online consumers ­ more than 30m new users in the next five years ­ and should account together for more than 40 per cent of all new online consumers. 

Italy is expected to see the most remarkable growth, reaching 68 per cent penetration, or 33.1m regular internet users, by 2006, the report predicts. 

The UK will come a close third, achieving 68 per cent penetration or 32.8m regular users. France will be marginally slower, with just 64 per cent penetration, or 31.3m users, in 2006. 

Online penetration in Scandinavia should reach saturation at 70 per cent from 2003 onwards. Austria and Switzerland will continue to grow from 2004 onwards ­ a result of their high income levels and high number of technology optimists. Their total regular online penetration will reach 75 per cent by 2006. 

So far, the penetration of regular internet use in Europe has grown to 39 per cent ­ or 119m people ­ from 19 per cent in 199. But with 50 percent of these consumers aged 35 or younger, the internet is still a medium for well-educated young people, the report says. 

Southern European markets -- France, Italy, and Spain -- continue to lag European online adoption, with internet penetration rates at 30 per cent. The Nordic markets remain in the lead with access rates up at between 60 per cent and 70 per cent. 

However, most European surfers connect from Germany or the UK -- the two largest online populations in Europe. Germany has the biggest slice of the online pie, with more than 30m online users, and the UK follows with more than 20m. 

Half of all Europeans have access to the internet in some way and at some location, but only three-quarters of these use the internet on a regular basis, the report says. 

Most regular online users connect from home -- only 13 per cent of online users have access from work alone. The location that users connect from impacts their behavior -- for instance, work-only users go online for five hours per week, 1.7 hours less than home-only users. 

Tamsin McMahon is assistant editor of Europemedia.net. She was most recently an education reporter and editor for the Peterborough Examiner. She has worked at daily papers in Toronto, Hamilton and Edmonton, as well as for The Canadian Press. Tamsin holds a journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University.

Source: http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=10119