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Use of ICT and the Internet by Households and Individuals 2006

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Use of ICT and the Internet by Households and Individuals 2006 2006:4 y 3 July 2006 Use of ICT and the Internet by households and individuals 2006 Summary The use of computers and the Internet is very widespread in Iceland. In 2006 almost nine out of every ten individuals 16–74 years of age used computers and the Internet. As in previous years the Internet is mainly used for information search and communication. In 2006, 31% of the population aged 16–74 years had ordered goods or services over the Internet during a period of three months prior to the survey. Eight out of every ten Internet users have already used the Internet for interaction with public authorities and 8% of Internet users showed interest in dealing with public affairs through the media. Around 13% of the Internet users were not interested in interacting with public authorities online. In 2006, a total of 84% of Icelandic households had a computer and 83% had access to the Internet. The percentage of households with high speed Internet connection, such as ADSL, SDSL or other kinds of xDSL connections, has increased from 26% in 2002 to 85% in 2006. Households with children under 16 years of age are more likely to have various kinds of IC technology than households with all members 16 years of age or older. In 2006, 95% of households with children had a computer and an access to the Internet whereas 78% of households without children had a computer and 75% had access to the Internet. High speed Internet connections were more often found within households with high income than within households with low income. Thus 98% of Internet-connected households in the highest income bracket were connected through xDSL while 64% of Internet-connected households in the lowest income bracket had this type of an Internet connection. In the year 2005, the prevalence of an Internet connection at home was most widespread in Iceland compared with other European households. That year, a total of 48% of households within the EU countries had access to the Internet while 84% of Icelandic households had an access. That same year, 43% of the population aged 16–74 years in the EU were regular Internet users, while 81% of the Icelandic population in the same age were using the Internet at least once a week. Thus it can be argued that the digital divide is smaller in Iceland than in the EU. This article discusses IC technology in Icelandic households as well as individuals’ use of computers and the Internet. Emphasis is placed on computer and Internet related activities carried out by individuals, the purpose of Internet use, e-commerce and use of the Internet for interaction with public authorities. An international comparison is made based on results from Eurostat, the OECD and other Nordic statistical offices. 2 2 Introduction The survey In February and March 2006 Statistics Iceland in cooperation with Eurostat conducted its fifth survey on the use of ICT1 by households and individuals. Each respondent represents one household and answers questions on the IC technology in the household as well as questions on his/her own use of a computer and the Internet. Comparison between countries is mainly based on results from community surveys conducted in 2005. Technology in households Information communication As previous surveys have shown, almost every household in Iceland has a TV technology (93%) and a mobile phone2 (98%). The vast majority of households has a personal computer (84%) and an Internet connection (83%). Around 81% of Icelandic households have a DVD player and 78% of households own a VCR. A little less than half of Icelandic households have a digital TV or a digital set top box, 43% have an iPod or an MP3 player. Games console is to be found in 38% of the households and 7% own a palm top. There is an Internet enabled mobile phone in 38% of the households and within 60% of the households all household members have their own mobile phone (figure 1). Children e-enable the Households with children at the age of 0–15 years are more likely to have various household kinds of IC technical equipments than households with all members older than 15 years of age. Thus almost every household with children have a computer and an access to the Internet (94–95%) whereas 78% of households without children have a computer and 75% have access to the Internet. It is also more common to find a VCR, DVD player, iPod/MP3 player and games console within households with children than within households with no children. In 2006, around 84% of households with children had a VCR, 91% had a DVD player, 61% had an iPod or an MP3 player and 65% owned a games console. Within households with no children around 74% of the households had a VCR, 74% had a DVD player, 30% had an iPod or an MP3 player and 19% owned a games console (figure 1). 1 Information Communication Technology. 2 Refers both to Internet enabled mobile phones as well as other types of mobile phones. 3 Figure 1. IC technology in households by type of household 2006 100 Mobile phone 97 98 93 Television 93 93 94 Computer 78 84 95 Internet access 75 83 91 DVD player 74 81 84 Video recorder 74 78 All househ.members 30 81 have a mobile phone 60 Digital TV/digital set 52 44 top box 47 61 iPOD/MP3 30 43 Internet enabled 48 mobile phone 32 38 65 Games co n so le 19 38 9 Cable T V 7 8 9 Palm top 6 7 7 Satellite dish 7 7 020406080100 Total Households without child(ren) Households with child(ren) Notes: Percent of households. Internet connections in Compared to other European countries, the prevalence of an Internet connection in households are most common households in Europe is highest in Iceland. In 2005 around 84% of Icelandic in Iceland households had access to the Internet while the average prevalence in the EU countries was 48%. In the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden between 73% and 78% had access to the Internet. The prevalence of Internet connected households was between 60% and 65% in Germany, Norway, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. In 2005, an access to the Internet was least common within households in Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and Slovakia (figure 2). 4 4 Figure 2. European households with Internet access 2005 Iceland 84 Netherlands 78 Denmark 75 Sweden 73 Luxembourg 65 Norway 64 German y 62 Unit ed Kingdom 60 Finland 54 Belgium 50 Slovenia 48 EU 25 48 Ireland 47 Austria 47 Italy 39 Estonia 39 Sp ain 36 Cyprus 32 Portugal 31 Latvia 31 Poland 30 Slovakia 23 Hungary 22 Greece 22 Czech Republic 19 Lithuania 16 0 102030405060708090 Notes: Percentage of households. Source: Eurostat. Number of households using a The most common types of Internet connections in Icelandic households are a dial- high speed Internet connection up telephone connection, ISDN, ADSL, SDSL or other types of an xDSL1. The has gradually increased since number of connected households using high speed Internet connection has 2002 gradually increased since the first survey in 2002. That year one out of every four households with access to the Internet used an xDSL connection. Now four years later around 85% of the Internet-connected households are connected through an xDSL. The prevalence of a dial-up telephone connection and ISDN have gradually decreased in the same period, from 68% in 2002 to 12% in 2006 (figure 3). 1 Henceforward xDSL will be used to signify ADSL, SDSL and other kind of an xDSL Internet connection. 5 Figure 3. Type of an Internet connection in households 2002–2006 68 2002 26 58 2003 40 41 2004 54 23 2005 73 12 2006 85 0 102030405060708090 ADSL or other kind of xDSL Dial-up telephone line/ISDN Notes: Percent of households with Internet access. Other types of Internet Other types of Internet connections than a dial-up telephone connection, ISDN or connections are hardly found xDSL are very rare in Icelandic households. Thus only 2% of the households with within Icelandic households access to the Internet used a cable modem or a broadband in 2006. Even fewer households were connected via mobile phone, such as WAP or GPRS (table 3). xDSL is more common in Internet connections through xDSL are more common in households in the capital the capital region, within region (89%) than in other regions (77%). On the other hand it is more common for households with children households in other regions (17%) than for households in the capital region (9%) to and within households with use a dial-up telephone connection or ISDN. When accessing the Internet, 89% of high income households with children use xDSL and only 8% of them use a dial-up telephone connection or ISDN. The prevalence of an xDSL connection within households without children younger than 16 years of age is 81% and 15% of them use a dial- up telephone connection or ISDN. High speed Internet connections are more often found within households with high income than within households with low income. Thus almost two out of every three households within the lowest income bracket used xDSL in 2006, whereas 98% of the households within the highest income bracket accessed the Internet through an xDSL connection (figure 4). 6 6 Figure 4. Type of an Internet connection in households by residence, household type and household income 2006 1 750 thousand ISK or more 98 4 600–749 thousand ISK 96 10 450–599 thousand ISK 89 13 300–449 thousand ISK 84 17 150–299 thousand ISK 81 16 0–149 thousand ISK 64 8 Households with child(ren) 89 15 Households without child(ren) 81 17 Other regions 77 9 Capital region 89 12 Total 85 0 20406080100 ADSL or other kind of xDSL Dial-up telephone line/ISDN Notes: Percent of households with Internet access.
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