A great deal of additional information on the European union is available on the Internet It can be accessed through the Europa server http://europa. eu
•action concerning online child safety, Internet pharmacies, health information on the Internet and spam;
Internet ehealth policies †a systematic review Identify the uptake of ehealth policies across the globe and analyse
The Internet has opened a new world to us. Any kind of information is out there and this medium is more and more replacing printed
end 2014, almost 3 billion people will be using the Internet, up from 2. 7 billion at end
1. 8 Total International Internet bandwidth (Gbit/s), by level of development (left) and regional share
1. 9 International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user, by region, 2004 and 2013.10 1. 10 Percentage of households with Internet access, by level of development, 2005-2014 (left) and
1. 15 Individuals using the Internet, by level of development, 2005-2014 (left) and by region
1. 19 Fixed-broadband access in enterprises using the Internet, selected countries, 2005-2012.19 1. 20 E-government Development Index (EGDI), 2003-2014.20
3. 11 Percentage of Individuals using the Internet, Europe compared to global and developed country average, 2013.100
1. 2 Total Internet domain registrations by world region, 2003,2008 and 2013.18 2. 1 IDI values and changes, 2012 and 2013.41
Internet usage, with growth in the number of Internet users in all countries and increasing availability of online content, much of which is
user-created through social media applications and platforms (e g. Twitter, Youtube, Whatsapp With more and more applications now available
the strong growth in mobile Internet uptake, an increasing number of people are joining, and
Internet services and the higher levels of skills required to make effective use of online content
broadband Internet continues to be a priority for telecommunication service providers and governments in most countries.
backbone capacities and international Internet bandwidth. Indeed, without further deployment of backbone infrastructure, service providers are
is the amount of international Internet bandwidth available in countries and regions such bandwidth being a key requirement for
Over the past decade, international Internet bandwidth has climbed sharply, from around 1 600 Gbit/s in 2001 to 60 400 Gbit/s in 2010 and
leads by far in terms of international Internet bandwidth, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the world†s total (2013), compared with
Europe†s leadership in international Internet bandwidth is explained by the advanced level of broadband adoption and usage
Internet. As a result, the Internet backbone network in the region is interlinked by means of several Internet exchange points (IXPS
that interconnect national networks and give them access to the global Internet. Indeed some of the world†s largest IXPS are located
in Europe and have an international reach such as for instance the German Commercial Internet Exchange (DE-CIX), the Amsterdam
Internet Exchange or the London Internet Exchange. 6 The United kingdom stands out as a prominent global hub for international
3%2 %85 %4 %6 %Africa Arab States Asia & Pacific CIS The americas 0. 4
0. 7 2. 6 1. 6 1. 3 0 0. 5 1. 0 1. 5
Total international Internet bandwidth (Gbit/s), by level of development (left) and regional share right), 2004-2013
Internet bandwidth in the UK accounts for almost twice as much as Africa, Arab States and CIS combined,
available international bandwidth on Internet 0 20'000 40'000 60'000 80'000 100'000
per Internet user. This indicator has increased significantly between 2004 and 2013. There are huge differences, however, between developed
Household access to the Internet is the ultimate way of guaranteeing an inclusive information society in which all people, irrespective of age
level of disability, can access the Internet within the privacy and proximity of their own home. A
Internet will eventually ensure access for all households nationwide. Household access is also mostly shared access, whereby all family
International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user, by region, 2004 and 2013 Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database
221 420 1'213 702 4'384 11'572 8'074 19'037 21'472
in Africa have Internet, and growth remains at a high 18.4 per cent, which is more than twice the
highest number of households with Internet Chart 1. 10: Percentage of households with Internet access, by level of development, 2005-2014 (left) and
Internet As is the case with other indicators, there is a significant urban-rural divide when it comes to
that household Internet penetration in urban areas is 4 per cent higher than in rural areas
Internet than rural households (Partnership 2014). 8 Available data also show that Internet access in rural households is growing slowly
78.4 43.6 31.2 5. 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 %Developed
households from purchasing Internet services At the same time, the benefits brought by ICTS and the Internet are especially impactful in
rural areas, which often also lack access to other infrastructure and public services. Therefore connecting rural households to broadband
Internet plays a greater role in those areas. Data on public access is collected by ITU through its
such as privately operated Internet cafes, as well as community-type facilities, which typically provide Internet access free of charge.
also constitute an important location for Internet access, especially in rural areas, although access is limited often to students and teachers and
role in terms of providing access to the Internet they are open to the public, their branches are
the Internet, even though 31 per cent of post offices have a broadband Internet connection Chartâ 1. 11), with major differences across regions
Chart 1. 12. These numbers refer to 2012, and have increased most probably somewhat today Nevertheless, there is huge potential if all post
offices were provided with broadband Internet and offered this as a service to the public According to the Universal Postal Union (UPU
Internet access and post offices with broadband Internet access, 2012, by level of development Note: Simple averages
small towns had access to the Internet, while with 60 per cent coverage half of all rural areas
to the Internet in public libraries from 2007 to 2009.10 While the results point to improvements
Internet users ITU estimates that, by end 2014, almost 3 billion people will be using the Internet, corresponding
to a global penetration rate of 40.4 per cent (Chart 1. 15. This compares to 2. 7 billion people and 38
using the Internet, 90 per cent of whom live in the developing world. While more than three out of
Nevertheless, Internet usage is growing steadily, at 6. 6 per cent in 2014 †3. 3 per cent
countries, the number of Internet users will have doubled in five years (2009-2014), and two-thirds
of today†s Internet users live in the developing world. Growth rates are highest in LDCS (13 per
Individuals using the Internet, by level of development, 2005-2014 (left) and by region 2014*(right
Internet usage varies considerably across regions. In Europe, Internet usage on average is approaching saturation levels, with almost 75 per
cent penetration and low growth of 2. 3 per cent during the past year. In Africa, the region with the
lowest Internet penetration rate (19 per cent Internet usage is growing strongly at 13 per cent
and almost twice as many people will be online by the end of this year compared with only four
of the world†s Internet users live in this region The two countries combined are home to around
860â million Internet users, almost 30 per cent of the world†s total and 66 per cent of Internet users
in the Asia-Pacific region. Penetration rates in the two countries differ greatly, though, reflecting
of Internet users in China is 46 per cent, it is only 18â per cent in India
Internet usage in The americas region is relatively high: with almost 66 per cent penetration it is much higher than household Internet
access (57â per cent. This suggests that shared household access as well as access outside the home is more common in the region.
cent Internet penetration compared with 11 per cent of households with Internet access. In view of infrastructure limitations and a lack of
the Internet at locations outside the home, such as at work, school or public access facilities
Internet content and use of social media The growth in Internet users has witnessed a parallel, steep growth in the volume of Internet
content. More and more people are actively participating in the information society by creating, sharing and uploading content and
using social media and other Internet-based applications, covering a large range of topics and sectors. While measuring online content
and website use is a challenging task on account of the sheer volume of information available
targets, which includes an assessment of Internet content (Partnership, 2014. Some key findings featured in the report are presented below
Internet users (ITU, 2011. Twitter, the leading international microblogging service, founded in 2007, has grown to comprise 646 million active
out of an estimated 582 million Chinese Internet subscribers (Partnership, 2014 More than 6 billion hours of video are being
Internet users. At the same time, the proportion of articles in English has decreased significantly †from 46 per cent in 2003 to 15 per cent in 2013
in Internet content and usage overall, a more nuanced analysis needs to be carried out to identify digital divides.
In addition, Internet access differs enormously according to the size and location of the enterprise †small and
Total Internet domain registrations by world region, 2003,2008 and 2013 Source: Partnership (2014. Data supplied by Zooknic,
backbone connectivity and international Internet bandwidth is still lacking in many regions of the developing world.
the Internet to provide services to their citizens E-government contributes to increased efficiency and greater transparency and accountability in
Fixed-broadband access in enterprises using the Internet, selected countries, 2005-2012 Source: UNCTAD Information Economy Database, 2014, available at unctadstat. unctad. org
particular broadband Internet) is a basic infrastructure requirement in today†s information society. Access to high-speed Internet is
necessary to enable students to use the Internet for educational purposes, and helps enhance education administration through the electronic
exchange of forms, data and other information Internet access in schools also achieves cost efficiencies by automating manual tasks and
place where young people can use the Internet see section 1. 3 above. Therefore, they can also
Internet is lower on average, although much progress has been made in recent years. There are significant differences across countries, even
Chart 1. 22 also shows the type of Internet access schools have, in particular the share of
Internet access (out of all schools with Internet access) is still low, suggesting that, in those
Internet Fixed broadband Internet P e rc e n ta g e o f s
c h o o ls 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
has been very effective in improving Internet access in schools, resulting in 78 per cent of
schools being connected to the Internet in 2013, compared to just 44 per cent in 2009
Internet connectivity in schools also depends on the development of the national telecommunication infrastructure and on
While connecting schools to the Internet and other ICTS is essential in order to foster e-education, it is equally important to look at
infrastructure, household access and Internet users. For example at the beginning of the century, only around a dozen developing countries collected data on Internet users, while today there are
almost 50 developing countries collecting this indicator through official surveys (Chart Box 1. 2). Data on household access to
the Internet or a computer are now being collected by more than 100 economies worldwide, and data on Internet use in
businesses by almost 70 countries, although not on a regular basis (Partnership UNSC 2011. Similarly, whereas no data were
Internet user data through official surveys, by level of development Note: Chart shows countries that have collected data on the number of
Internet users through official national surveys. Data are presented in three-year intervals and include countries that have collected
Worldwide, 55%of households should have access to the Internet by 2020 Target 1. 2:
Worldwide, 60%of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020 Target 1. 3: Worldwide, telecommunication/ICTS should be 40%more affordable by 2020a
In the developing world, 50%of households should have access to the Internet by 2020
In the least developed countries (LDCS), 15%of households should have access to the Internet by 2020
In the developing world, 50%of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020 Target 2. 2. B:
In the least developed countries (LDCS), 20%of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020 Target 2. 3. A:
Gender equality among Internet users should be reached by 2020 Target 2. 5. B: Enabling environments ensuring accessible telecommunications/ICTS for persons with disabilities should be established in all
of data, provided by, for example, Internet and telecommunication companies. Second, the spread and use of ICTS allow public and private
mobile and Internet sectors. Delegates attending the eleventh World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS) in Mexico city in
8 For further discussion on progress made towards connecting rural households to the Internet, see Partnership (2014
Internet bandwidth per Internet user households with a computer, and households with Internet access •Use sub-index:
the Internet, fixed (wired)- broadband subscriptions, and wireless-broadband subscriptions •Skills sub-index: This sub-index captures
characterizing intense Internet use, and is therefore included in stage 2 (as an indicator in the use sub
•Percentage of individuals using the Internet The suggested reference period for latest Internet usage was changed from the last
twelve months to the last three months The twelvemonth period is used still by some countries,
that Internet usage is now sufficiently frequent that the majority of users will be captured with the shorter time-frame
for the indicators international Internet bandwidth per Internet user and mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants would be reviewed.
For international Internet bandwidth per Internet user, the methodology used in previous IDI calculations was kept,
as there is no limit to the maximum value that could be achieved by a country. The reference value employed for this
international Internet bandwidth, a review of the definition of the indicator is currently under discussion in EGTI
percentage of individuals using the Internet changing the reference period to the last three months) and percentage of
3. International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user 4. Percentage of households with a computer
%6. Percentage of individuals using the Internet 7. Fixed (wired)- broadband subscriptions per 100 inhab. itants
with 93 per cent of households with Internet access and households with a computer by end
The Danish Internet service provider (ISP) TDC is making investments to provide access to ultra-fast speeds for over
abundant international Internet bandwidth of more than 260 000 bit/s per Internet user in 2013 Denmark tops the IDI use sub-index.
The country†s broadband market is particularly well advanced. At 107 per cent, it has one of
highest proportion of households with Internet access worldwide. A somewhat lower proportion of 81 per cent of households have a computer
International Internet bandwidth is relatively low compared to other top IDI countries, at just over
volume of local content, and domestic Internet bandwidth was compared ten times higher with international bandwidth Third-placed Sweden records an IDI value of
Internet bandwidth. The United kingdom stands out as the most dynamic of the top ten IDI
correlated with regular use of the Internet, which underlines the importance of household access. 14
with Internet) of at least 88 per cent. Iceland and The netherlands display the highest levels of
High levels of Internet connectivity at home and the availability of mobile Internet translate into high degrees of Internet usage in the IDI€ s top
ten countries. The Nordic countries stand out with the highest percentage of Internet users globally. In Iceland, 97 per cent of the (in-scope
population is using the Internet and 95 per cent of Norwegians, Swedes and Danes are online. 19
The availability of international Internet bandwidth is critical for ICT development. All IDI top performers benefit from the abundant
availability of international Internet bandwidth Bandwidth is highest (per Internet user) in such hubs as Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden and the
United kingdom Hong kong (China) made its entry into the top ten of the IDI 2013, up from 11th position
in 2012. The economy ranks in ninth position with an IDI value of 8. 28.
Hong kong (China) is particularly strong on the access sub-index of the IDI, in which it ranks fourth.
provision of international Internet bandwidth a policy priority in order to secure reliable and low-latency Internet connectivity (see MIS 2013
In 2013, international Internet bandwidth stood at 1. 7 million bit/s per Internet user, which is
the second highest value after Luxembourg†s Hong kong (China) has the second highest fixed-telephone penetration globally, at 63 per
cent, and relatively high levels of household ICT connectivity, at 80 per cent of households with
Internet and 82 per cent with a computer. Both fixed-broadband (31 per cent) and wireless
significant amounts of international Internet bandwidth and increased international Internet bandwidth per Internet user from around 6 000
bit/s in 2012 to close to 12 000 bit/s per user in 2013. The submarine cable system spans
Africa†s west coast, from South africa to CÃ'te d†Ivoire, and connects it to Europe.
international Internet connectivity, which is of particular importance for enabling an island state such as Cape verde to join the information
an important increase in international Internet bandwidth. International Internet bandwidth per Internet user27 almost doubled between
2012 and 2013, climbing to 9 000 bit/s per user While this is still one of the lowest absolute
figures in The americas region (only Cuba has a lower bandwidth per Internet user), it indicates that good progress in being made in improving
connectivity in the country. Bolivia has seen an important increase in wireless-broadband penetration, from 7 per cent in 2012 to 14 per
Internet bandwidth (close to 82 000 bit/s per Internet user. 30 It is well-connected to its neighbouring countries in the CIS region
and to Europe through two Black sea fibre -optic cables and terrestrial links. 31 This laid the
households to the Internet †penetration increased from 27 per cent in 2012 to 35 per
Internet stands at 96 per cent and the proportion of households with a computer at 97 per cent
westerners have an Internet connection at home penetration stands at 85 per cent for the overall population.
Internet bandwidth per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Bhutan 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Bolivia 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Bosnia and herzegovina 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Burkina faso 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Cape verde 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Estonia 2012 2013 53 Measuring the Information Society Report 2014
Figure 2. 3: IDI spider charts, selected dynamic countries, 2012 and 2013 (continued 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Fiji 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Georgia 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Gambia 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Mali 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Oman 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Qatar 2012 2013 Chapter 2. The ICT Development Index (IDI
54 Looking to the future, the country released its first national broadband plan in 2013, which
prioritizes broadband infrastructure development to make services faster, more affordable and more secure. One of the core projects
of the Qatar National Broadband Network is the deployment of a fibre-optic network infrastructure. 33
Chart 2. 1: Fixed (wired)- broadband and wireless -broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, top five IDI countries, 2013
Source: ITU 33 35 36 38 40 110 75 87 105 107 0 50 100 150
Sweden Iceland United kingdom Korea (Rep Denmark Per 100 inhabitants Wireless-broadband subscriptions Fixed (wired)- broadband subscriptions
Chart 2. 4: Proportion of households with a computer and proportion of households with Internet access, 2012-2013, Qatar
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database 91.5 88.1 97.2 96.4 0 10 20 30
40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Households with a computer Household with Internet access
2012 2013 P e r 1 0 0 h o u se h o ld
s Thailand is one of the most dynamic countries on the use sub-index(+34 ranks),
which led to an improvement in its overall IDI ranking from 91st in 2012 to 81st in 2013.
In particular, the country†s wireless market proved to be extremely vibrant during the period 2012-2013:
Internet connectivity to users. The rapid uptake of mobile-broadband services was spurred by heated competition among operators offering
Internet bandwidth per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy Thailand 2012 2013 0. 0
0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1. 0 Mobile-cellular subscriptions International Internet bandwidth
per Internet user Households with a computer Households with Internet Fixed-telephone subscriptions Internet usersfixed-broadband
subscriptions Active mobile -subscriptions broadband Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Literacy United arab emirates 2012 2013 55 Measuring the Information Society Report 2014
2. 3 Monitoring the digital divide: Developed developing and least connected countries Tracking the global digital divide is one of the
main objectives of the IDI. The digital divide can be understood as the difference in ICT development
within and between countries, regions or other groupings. In this section, IDI performance will be analysed and compared with regard to levels of
to the Internet, leaving ample room for growth This also holds true for international Internet
bandwidth, which is still at very low levels in many developing countries The use sub-index is the most dynamic,
the developing world, were not using the Internet Bringing those people online is an important task
International Internet bandwidth availability is limited very, thus constraining Internet connectivity and driving up ICT prices
which in turn hampers usage of ICTS. Few households (less than 5 per cent in the majority of LCCS) are connected to the
Internet and fewer than 5 per cent of households in all LCCS have a computer.
of LCCS, few people use the Internet: an estimated less than 2 per cent the population is online in Eritrea, Myanmar, Guinea
pronounced when it comes to data on Internet access and use. Access to the Internet (be it
narrowband or broadband, fixed or wireless) is extremely low for rural households in developing countries, while rural households in developed
economic means to pay for broadband Internet services, as well as the skills to make effective use of ICTS.
penetration and percentage of Internet users) were considered not, since they are also included in the IDI
of multilingualism on the Internet; and ensure access to ICTS for more than half of world†s inhabitants
phones and the Internet can help inform people and allow them to share information on the use and availability of facilities. 46 Results
Internet Goal 7 The significant positive correlation between percentage change in carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions and percentage increase in IDI
3-INTERNET%20use%20and%20skills. pdf 8 http://presse. tdc. dk/pressemeddelelser/tdc-klar-til-100-mbit-s-ogsa-pa-kobberkabler-987457
14 https://ec. europa. eu/digital-agenda/sites/digital-agenda/files/DAE%20scoreboard%202013%20-%203-INTERNET%20
19 In these countries, the in-scope population for data on Internet users is aged individuals 16-74
A lack of international Internet bandwidth is seriously hampering ICT development in Africa Although the region has been connected to
are lacking international Internet connectivity Chart 3. 3: Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2012 and 2013, Africa
1â 000 bit/s of international Internet bandwidth per Internet user at their disposal. Being connected to four international submarine
cable systems, Kenya has the highest amount of international Internet bandwidth, both in total and per Internet user, at 50 000 bit/s per user (see
MIS 2013. Seychelles (24 000 bit/s) and Mauritius 24 500 bit/s) also have relatively high amounts
of bandwidth per Internet user, partly because of their very small populations and hence small number of Internet users
The divide between Africa and the world becomes most visible when looking at ICT household penetration:
by end 2013, on average less than 10 per cent of households in the region had access to the Internet at home,
compared to the global average of 40 per cent and the developing-country average of 28 per cent
Africa was home to 150 million Internet users by end 2013. This corresponds to around 17 per
Internet cables. The United arab emirates boasts the highest amount of international Internet bandwidth per Internet user (around 52 000
bit/s per user) in the region. Furthermore, the country almost doubled its Internet bandwidth
between 2012 and 2013. Oman, too, saw a significant increase in total international Internet bandwidth, up from 17 792 Mbit/s in 2012 to 82
010 Mbit/s in 2013. In 2013, the Europe-Persia Express Gateway that connects the United Arab
Emirates and Oman to Germany via the Islamic Republic of Iran went live, increasing the region†s
international Internet connectivity. 6 Furthermore the Gulf Bridge International (GBI) system completed its â€oenorth Route†terrestrial link in
households to the Internet in 2013, penetration increasing from 39 per cent in 2012 to 46 per
broadband Internet offers for eligible customers. 8 Wireless-broadband penetration levels vary considerably across the region.
reach Internet user penetration rates of 50 and 56 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, in the LCCS Mauritania and Djibouti, less than 10 per
of international Internet bandwidth in the region, and indeed one of the highest volumes in the world, at close to 9. 5 million Mbit/s12 by
a secure and low-latency Internet connection and the telecommunication regulator has made the attraction of international submarine
system, international Internet connectivity was boosted in these countries. Additional international Internet bandwidth is of particular
importance for sustaining ICT growth and ensuring Internet connectivity for an increasing number of users in populous countries such as
China (with an estimated 600 million Internet users) and the Philippines (with an estimated 36.5 million Internet users by end 2013.
Within the Philippines, domestic connectivity was further improved by connecting some of the Chart 3. 6:
IDI values compared with the global, regional and developing/developed-country averages Asia and the Pacific, 2013
live in the summer of 2013.15 Regional Internet connectivity was enhanced further when the Tonga Cable, connecting Fiji and Tonga, and the
international Internet connectivity; these include in particular, the landlocked and least connected countries Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal, with
less than 4 000 bit/s per Internet user The regional divide in the Asia-Pacific region
Indian Internet users. Comparing the two, the proportion of the population using the Internet is much higher in China (44 per cent) than India
15 per cent. India has one of the lowest rates in the region (and globally:
proportion of Internet users. Japan (86 per cent the Republic of korea (85 per cent) and Australia and New zealand (both 83 per cent) exhibit the
having access to the Internet. Total international Internet bandwidth is by far highest in the Russian Federation,
which is connected through a number of terrestrial links to both Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. 20 However, given its
Internet user the country is below most other CIS countries. International Internet bandwidth per Internet user is highest in Moldova (115 845
bit/s per user), followed by Belarus (94 797 bit/s per user) and Georgia (82 094 bit/s per user
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have limited very bandwidth, which hampers Internet connectivity and hence further development of the ICT sector
in those countries By end 2013, half of CIS countries had reached a wireless-broadband penetration of more than
to provide further Internet connectivity. LTE services were launched in the Russian Federation in 2012.22 The highest growth in wireless
international Internet bandwidth. The highest levels are reached in international hubs such as Germany, Luxembourg and the United kingdom
High amounts of bandwidth per Internet user as registered in most European countries, ensure that a large number of Internet users can go
online at high speeds Around three-quarters of European households have access to the Internet at home.
The highest proportions of households connected to the Chart 3. 10: IDI values compared with the global, regional and developing/developed-country averages
Internet are found in Iceland (96 per cent Luxembourg (95 per cent), The netherlands (95 per
Internet from 2012 to 2013 are Italy (from 63 to 69 per cent), Czech republic (from 65 to 73 per cent
Percentage of Individuals using the Internet, Europe compared to global and developed -country average, 2013
Data on Individuals using the Internet for Eurostat members are sourced from Eurostat. Eurostat collects data for Internet users aged 16-74 years old
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database World Developed 0 10 20 30 40 50
availability of high-speed broadband Internet access and relevant content are reflected in a higher proportion of Internet users in the region
Close to half a billion Europeans were online in 2013, which corresponds to 73 per cent of the
Internet users globally, at 96.5 per cent, followed by three other Nordic countries †Norway Sweden and Denmark †with 95 per cent of the
population using the Internet. Turkey has the lowest proportion of Internet users, at below 50 per cent.
In Romania, too, less than half of the population are online (Chart 3. 11 3. 6 The americas
International Internet connectivity, measured in bit/s per Internet user, is ample in the United States and Canada,
and Brazil26 also has a large amount of bandwidth. Brazil is connected within the region and across the Atlantic ocean
international Internet bandwidth, from around 20â 000 bit/s per Internet user in 2012 to close to
80â 000 bit/s in 2013 The americas region has a relatively high household ICT penetration.
average, 55 per cent of households had Internet which is the second highest regional average
Internet: in Argentina, 54 per cent of households have Internet access, as do 53 per cent of
Internet by end 2013, respectively. Brazil and Colombia made good progress at a somewhat higher level of household penetration, reaching
with Internet by end 2013, respectively (see Chartâ 3. 13 Wireless-broadband networks are being
Close to 1 billion people are using the Internet in The americas region. While the highest proportion of individuals using the Internet is to
be found in the United states and Canada, more than half of the population is online in countries
8 http://www. omantel. om/Omanweblib/Individual/Internet/pc initiative. aspx? linkid=3&menuid=420 and http://www. ita. gov. om/ITAPORTAL/Pages/Page. aspx?
11 Internet user data from Gulf countries are not comparable, as they refer to different populations.
/18 http://file. eu-chinapdsf. org/Internet/PUB/Activity4/Results%203/Broadband%20china%20introduction yu%20xiaohui. pdf
Affordability remains the main barrier to Internet access at home in many developing countries. In Brazil, for instance, 44 per cent of all households
with a computer did not have Internet in 2013 because they considered it too expensive or
countries, although not having Internet at home may be more attributable to other factors, such as lack of interest, cost still represents a barrier for
in five households without Internet cite cost as the reason, and seven out of ten of those who have
Internet state that price is the most important factor when choosing the service (European commission 2013;
reliable Internet services. Despite the growth of mobile-broadband subscriptions, less than 3 per cent of global IP traffic corresponded to mobile
high-volume Internet applications such as file sharing (less than 1 per cent of total file -sharing traffic was transmitted through mobile
networks in 2013) and Internet video (2 per cent of total Internet video traffic was transmitted
through mobile networks in 2013. Therefore some of the potential benefits of broadband as a development enabler, such as for instance
Mbit/s of international Internet bandwidth to share among more than 300 000 fixed (wired -broadband subscriptions in 2013.
of international Internet bandwidth is further confirmed by the fact that the entry-level plan
an Internet service at speeds above 512 kbit/s The relatively low fixed (wired)- broadband
Mauritel largely dominating it. 18 Moreover, international Internet bandwidth is limited very in the country: 620 Mbit/s in 2013
try to access the international Internet at the same time, they will have speed on average a below 256 kbit/s i e. narrowband
for low-income households or the promotion of public Internet access centres (based on either commercial or public schemes
dial-up (narrowband) Internet remains the de facto technology for Internet access by residential customers in the island. 19
Internet bandwidth. Indeed, the latest data on international connectivity show that this may remain an issue in Kiribati (45 Mbit/s), Marshall
regional Internet exchange point and sharing the cost of building a high-capacity international link from there
buy a package including Internet, voice and SMS than to contract only Internet Fixed-broadband and mobile-broadband
Internet prices follow different pricing structures and therefore the analysis of mobile-broadband prices cannot be based on the same parameters
used for fixed broadband. In the case of fixed Internet access, the progress from narrowband dial-up to broadband brought not only a
whereas fixed-broadband Internet usually follows a flat-rate arrangement, whereby the customer pays a monthly fee and has
unlimited access to the Internet at a given speed with neither time nor data volume constraints
postpaid handset-based Internet plans included free minutes and SMS in 2013. It is much less
much less than 500 MB of Internet data per month, supported by the fact that several African
plans allow only limited use of the Internet and therefore restrict the benefits that can be
For instance, Internet video cannot be consumed on the basis of such limited data allowances, and even Internet radio
would need to be limited This suggests that, if mobile broadband is to bridge the broadband gap between Africa and
Pacific, such as the lack of international Internet bandwidth, also constrain mobile-broadband services There are four countries in The americas that
extent to which Internet users turn to mobile broadband as an affordable alternative to fixed broadband will only be seen in the coming years
number of subscriptions) of each Internet service provider (ISP. The result ranges from 0 (perfect
9. Internet content 8. Broadcasting content 7. Broadcasting (radio and TV transmission 6. Universal service/access
additional Internet data beyond 1 GB is still non -negligible in many countries Finally, different entry-level fixed-broadband
an Internet connection and do not have guaranteed a quality of service. They are considered under broadband services
18 Mauritel reported 7 352 fixed Internet subscriptions by end 2013,97 per cent of which trhough ADSL (source:
/page=internet conectividad&sub=internet 20 For instance, the latest Computer literacy Survey in Sri lanka (2009) found that only 20 per cent of the household
http://www. tigo. com. bo/personas/planes-y-promociones/Internet-movil-en-tu-modem http://www. tigo. com. co/4g, http://www. tigo. com. gt/personas/internet-movil/internet-movil-tigo-4g and
https://www. tigo. com. py/contenido/para-navegar-con-el-modem 25 Data for mobile-broadband services have been collected since 2012 through the ITU ICT Price Basket Questionnaire,
-broadband plans, see http://www. orange. ci/menu-mobile-3g/pass-internet-3g. html 28 The UMTS auctions took place in 2000 and 2001 in Europe (Van damme, 2002 and OECD,
about the types of activity that the Internet is used for, and little is known about the Internet
user in terms of age, gender, educational or income level, and so on In other areas, such as education, health or
world†s population †will be using the Internet In recent years, moreover, the strongest growth
activities carried out by users on the Internet including searches and social media content Table 5. 1
as by Internet companies and by content providers such as Google, Facebook, Twitter etc. Big data from the ICT services industry
The Internet has also been a rich source of big data beyond the realm of user search terms
In fact, the ICT sector is itself using the Internet as a source of big data for monitoring purposes
Internet to crowdsource quality of service Qos) data on broadband quality. For example the United states Federal Communications
not using the Internet. Household Internet penetration in developing economies is expected to reach 31 per cent by the end
of 2014, as against almost 80 per cent in developed economies. In addition, as Internet penetration rates remain limited, Internet users
are not yet) representative of the population at large. For example, Internet users tend to be younger, relatively well educated, with men still
more likely to be online than women, especially in developing countries11 (ITU, 2013 Depending on the source of Internet data
results may also be biased more or less. A 2013 study into the characteristics and behaviour of Facebook users, for example, revealed
that while in many ways Facebook users have real-life behaviour and characteristics in many ways the social network fails as a
services, non-Internet-related mobile -network big data seems to have the widest socioeconomic coverage in the near term
the Internet or recharging a prepaid card Since the service with the widest coverage and
measurement of Internet data volumes, call, SMS and MMS volumes, and value-added service VAS) volumes.
Survey-based data, for example on Internet users and mobile-phone users, do not entail the same issues as subscription data.
types of online activity pursued by Internet users and includes response categories such as seeking health information, obtaining information from
therefore, potentially identify Internet and VAS usage patterns between rural and urban areas and identify the kinds of application or webpage
that mobile-Internet users access. Combined with individual subscriber characteristics, this information could provide new and rich insights
Internet activities carried out by individuals This information is collected currently only by countries that carry out household ICT surveys
providers and other Internet content providers to work together and share information This technique is, currently, probably the least
of the information they provide, then Internet -user activities, including their frequency and intensity, could be understood much better
Internet companies such as Google or Facebook By linking data collected from different sources and combining subscription data and usage
world†s population uses the Internet. In other words, more than four billion people globally are not yet using the Internet,
and 90 per cent of them are from the developing world. Of the world†s three billion Internet users, two-thirds
are from the developing countries. Even though mobile-cellular penetration is close to 100 per cent, this does not mean that every person in
and telecommunication operators and Internet companies, including search engines and social networks, on the other, is necessary and could
Operators and Internet companies Business interests will naturally provide operators and Internet companies with the incentive to
talk to commercial vendors of big data analytics In addition, operators and Internet companies can benefit greatly from engagement with
academia and researchers to understand how to leverage big data for different purposes Such engagement will also broaden their
Operators and Internet companies need to take advantage of their existing customer relationships to elicit a greater understanding
Internet companies may hesitate to pool and share their data with those from other sources
downlink volumes for Internet traffic can be captured at various levels of disaggregation down to the individual
and recipient Internet protocols (IPS is captured for a variety of purposes including to manage the network and
records (CDRS), SMS/MMS detail records, Internet access detail records, etc. and may include the
Furthermore, devices used to access the Internet mobile handsets, routers, modems) also have a unique identifier known as a media access
first time online jobs and jobs reposted from the previous month for over 16 000 Internet job boards, corporate boards and
wire, voice services using Internet Protocol IP) delivered over fixed (wired)- broadband infrastructure (e g. DSL, fibre optic), and voice
3. International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user International Internet bandwidth refers to the total used capacity of international Internet
bandwidth, in megabits per second (Mbit/s It is measured as the sum of used capacity of
all Internet exchanges offering international bandwidth. If capacity is asymmetric, then the incoming capacity is used.
International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user is calculated by converting to bits per second and dividing by
the total number of Internet users 4. Percentage of households with a computer A computer refers to a desktop computer
a laptop (portable computer or a tablet or similar handheld computer. It does not include equipment with some embedded computing
abilities, such as smart TV SETS, and devices with telephony as a main function, such as mobile phones or smartphones.
Household with a computer means that the computer is available for use by all members of the household at any
5. Percentage of households with Internet access The Internet is a worldwide public computer network.
It provides access to a number of communication services, including the World wide web, and carries e-mail, news
Internet access means that the Internet is available for use by all members of the household at any
1. Percentage of individuals using the Internet Individuals using the Internet refers to people who used the Internet from any location and
for any purpose, irrespective of the device and network used, in the last three months.
It can be via a computer (i e. desktop computer laptop computer or tablet or similar handheld 223
the public Internet (a TCP IP connection. High -speed access is defined as downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s. Fixed (wired
the Internet) via mobile-cellular networks are excluded 3. Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants Wireless-broadband subscriptions refers to the sum
subscriptions to the public Internet •Satellite broadband subscriptions refers to the number of satellite Internet
subscriptions with an advertised download speed of at least 256 kbit/s. It refers to the retail subscription technology
of terrestrial fixed Wireless internet subscriptions with an advertised download speed of at least 256 kbit/s. This
to the public Internet. It covers actual subscribers, not potential subscribers even though the latter may have broadband-enabled handsets.
greater Internet via HTTP and which have been used to set up an Internet data connection using Internet Protocol (IP) in
the past three months. Standard SMS and MMS messaging do not count as an active
Internet data connection, even if the messages are delivered via IP. Dedicated mobile-broadband data subscriptions refers to subscriptions to dedicated data
services (over a mobile network) that allow access to the greater Internet and which are purchased separately from
voice services, either as a standalone service (e g. using a data card such as a USB modem/dongle) or as an add-on data
For instance, Internet use data of country A was estimated by using Internet use data of country B from the same region
with similar level of GNI per capita and similar level of fixed Internet and wireless-broadband
subscriptions. The same logic was applied to estimate missing data for all indicators included in the index
international Internet bandwidth (expressed as bit/s per user There are certain particularities that need to be
•International Internet bandwidth per Internet user, which in 2013 ranges from 136 (bits/s/user) to almost 6 445 759
Values for this indicator vary significantly between countries. To diminish the effect of the huge dispersion of values, the data
International Internet bandwidth per Internet user 0. 20 Percentage of households with a computer 0. 20
Percentage of individuals using the Internet 0. 33 Fixed (wired)- broadband Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 0. 33
Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 0. 33 ICT skills 0. 20 Adult literacy rate 0. 33
international Internet bandwidth per Internet user, percentage of households with a computer and percentage of households with Internet access
•ICT use is measured by percentage of individuals using the Internet, fixed wired)- broadband Internet subscriptions
per 100 inhabitants and wireless -broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants •ICT skills are approximated by adult
literacy rate, secondary gross enrolment ratio and tertiary gross enrolment ratio The values of the sub-indices were calculated
The ideal value of 787†260 bit/s per Internet user is equivalent to 5. 90 if transformed to a log scale
c International Internet bandwidth per Internet user**787'260 261'221 d Percentage of households with a computer 100 93.1
f Percentage of individuals using the Internet 100 94.6 g Fixed (wired)- broadband Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 60 40.2
h Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 100 107.5 ICT skills i Adult literary rate 100 99.0
z3 International Internet bandwidth per Internet user log (c)/ 5. 90 0. 20 0. 92 z4 Percentage of households with a computer d/100 0. 20 0. 93
z6 Percentage of individuals using the Internet f/100 0. 33 0. 95 z7 Fixed (wired)- broadband Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants g/60 0. 33 0. 67
z8 Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants h/100 0. 33 1. 00 ICT skills
y3 International Internet bandwidth per Internet user z3*.*20 0. 18 y4 Percentage of households with a computer z4*.
y6 Percentage of individuals using the Internet z6*.*33 0. 32 y7 Fixed (wired)- broadband Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants z7*.
*33 0. 22 y8 Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants z8*.*33 0. 33 ICT skills sub-index (N) y9+y10+y11 0. 20 0. 93
line is used not only for dial-up Internet access, but also as a basis for upgrading to
Internet access still remains the only Internet access available to some people in developing countries. Since the IPB does not include dial
-up (but only broadband) Internet prices, and since dial-up Internet access requires users to subscribe to a fixed-telephone line, the fixed
an indication for the price of dial-up Internet access The mobile-cellular sub-basket
Rules applied in collecting fixed-broadband Internet prices 1. The prices of the operator with the largest market share (measured by the number of subscriptions) should be used
International Internet bandwidth Bit/s per Internet user Percentage of households with computer Percentage of households with
Internet access Economy 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 1 Afghanistan 0. 3 0. 3 65.5 70.0 1†229 2†774 2. 3 2. 5 1. 9 2. 1
International Internet bandwidth Bit/s per Internet user Percentage of households with computer Percentage of households with
Internet access Economy 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 84 Lao P. D. R. 6. 8 10 10.0 13 64.7 15 66.2 9'397 9 10'636 8. 7
using the Internet Fixed (wired)- broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
using the Internet Fixed (wired)- broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants Wireless-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
International Internet bandwidth Bit/s per Internet user, 2012 1) Refers to a survey conducted with the following companies:
International Internet bandwidth Bit/s per Internet user, 2013 1) Purchased capacity. 2) As at December 2013.3) Total installed capacity.
1) Estimated based on 2011 proportion of households with internet and using estimated annual growth rate of 2. 8
and/or have access to internet. Sample weights have been applied. Not restricted to access at home. 5) Incl. desktop computer, laptop/notebook/netbook/tablet,
Assistant (PDA) and other devices for Internet connection (e g. smartphone, game console and e-book reader.
1) Labour force Survey 2013.2) Corresponds to all type of internet connections. 3) Data correspond to dwellings (not
access to internet. Sample weights have been applied. Not restricted to access at home. 5) Included desktop computer laptop/notebook/netbook/tablet,
but excluded palm top/Personal digital assistant (PDA) and other devices for Internet connection (e g. smartphone, game console and e-book reader
Percentage of individuals using the Internet, 2012 1) 15 years and older. Last 12 months. 2) Users in the last 3 months. 3) Estimated based on 2011 Residential consumer survey
individuals 15 years and above. 12) The methodology depends basically on the number of internet users using hard indicators
internet by the household size over the total estimated population. Sample weights have also been applied.
computer and Internet usage is 3 months only. 28) U s. Census bureau, Table 2: http://www. census. gov/hhes/computer
Percentage of individuals using the Internet, 2013 1) Individuals aged 15 years and over. 2) Population age 16-74.3) Labour force Survey 2013.4) Individuals aged 6 and over
The estimate is based on weighting households who use internet by the household size over the total estimated population
population living in workers†camps. 18) Population age 10+using internet in the last 3 months. 19) Individuals aged 15 to 72
1) Internet Activity Survey, June 2) Incl. fixed wireless broadband. 3) Fixed broadband in Bhutan is provided via ADSL/DSL
1 november 2013.2) Preliminary. 3) Internet Activity Survey, June 2013.4) Fixed broadband provided through ADSL/DSL
1) Only fixed Wimax subscriptions. 2) Internet Activity Survey, June 3) Break in comparability: including all categories of
satellite. 6) Change in definition, break in comparability. 7) High use of mobile phones to access the internet. 8) Incl.
1) Only fixed Wimax subscriptions. 2) Preliminary. 3) Internet Activity Survey, June 2013.4) Total number of EDGE/GPRS
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