Internet use around the globe is on the increase according to a number of recent reports. Net penetration in Argentina rose by 100% in the year to March 2001 and the number of internet users in Argentina is now around 2 million according to the DíAlessio/IROL/Harris Online Poll. Around 1.2 million households now have net access with an estimated 5% of the population going online either at work or home or both. Subsequently, online shopping has also increased with 15% of net users in Argentina saying they have shopped online. Books, CDs and computer equipment are the most frequently purchased online.
Net use in the Asia/Pacific region has grown massively over the past year and growth is set to continue according to both PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Yankee Group, with users in this region expected to number 192 million by 2005.
NetValue report this week that Yahoo! remains the most popular site in Asia.
In Europe the picture is similar with net usage on the rise everywhere according to a variety of sources. In Spain over 20% of the population is now online according to the Spanish Association for Media Research (see Forecasts). Meanwhile in Hungary, the figure is 16% (see Forecasts) and in France the government is taking the lead in broadband service provision (see Forecasts) and ecommerce revenues are reported to be up by 250% according to Benchmark Group.
Users in the worlds largest internet market, the US, have been surveyed by the Markle Foundation, in order to gauge levels of ‘trust’ in the medium. 79% of users questioned claimed that the net had made their lives easier whilst 83% regarded it in a positive way. However, some doubts were recorded as to the integrity of content found with 70% claiming that they question the truth of material found therein and only 42% believed that the internet was an accountable medium.
Distribution of Internet Activities – May 2001
| |
France |
UK |
Germany |
Spain |
Denmark |
USA |
Mexico |
| |
| Web |
96.60% |
97.80% |
96.70% |
97.60% |
95.80% |
97.30% |
98.20% |
| |
| Mail* |
59.00% |
56.40% |
50.10% |
57.10% |
72.20% |
43.70% |
22.70% |
| |
| Source : NetValue Internet Overview |
Source: NetValue
