Internet penetration in European region and takeoff problems of Hungary

1
Internet penetration in European region and
take-off problems of Hungary

• Robert Pinter
• Szilard Molnar
• Hungary, ISTRI

2
Two parts of our presentation

• Internet penetration in different European
  countries Robert Pinter
• Take off problems of Hungary Szilard Molnar

3
Internet penetration in the EU

• Classification of the countries of the European
  Union
• Based on simple Internet penetration data from
  summer of 2000 and February of 2001
• Results show five different groups, reveal deeper
  connections in economy, culture and information
  policy
• These groups identify developmental patterns

4
Internet penetration in the EU
5
Five groups of European Union

• After statistical classification the European
  Union is divided into five groups
• The elite
• Clever-countries
• Dissolving group
• The rocket-launchers
• The underdeveloped country

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First group the elite

• Sweden, Holland, Denmark and Finland
• They realized long time ago that ICTs are the
  main forces of new development
• Internet penetration is already very high, it
  nearly reached the possibly highest rate (65-70)
• The extensive growth is turning into intensive,
  the quality became more important

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Second group clever countries

• Austria, Great Britain, Ireland and Luxembourg
• They recognized later the choice than the first
  group
• But just-in-time to close up
• They will probably catch the elite within a short
  time

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The dissolving third group -

• Germany, Italy and Belgium
• They postpone the decision they have the choice
  to fasten or slowdown their development process
• Nobody knows that these countries will drop
  behind or wont
• But it is sure, that the whole group will
  dissolve in group2 and 4

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Fourth group the rocket launchers

• France, Spain and Portugal
• Surprisingly in last year the rocket-launchers
  dictated the incredibly fast Internet development
  of EU
• They multiplied their Internet penetration very
  fastly
• Maybe is there a new elite born?

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Fifth the underdeveloped country

• Greece
• in Greece didnt happened anything in information
  development in the last twelve months
• several similar years and the whole East-European
  group will leave Greece far behind

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Geography of the groups
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Patterns of development

• Different phases of development
• It depends on acceleration of internet
  penetration, information policy, technology
  awareness, social openness etc.
• In the future the quality of Internet-usage will
  differentiate the European countries
• BENELUX-countries belong to three different
  groups ? countries from similar starting point
  i.e. cultural, historical, economic and social
  background can develop differently. Role of
  information awarenes.

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Message for East-European countries

• If we dont want to share the Greek position, we
  must develop ICT and Internet-usage
• It needs political programmes (e.g.
  eEurope2003)
• And transform economic resources
• And strengthen social openness
• Close up Spain and Portugal

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Take-off problems of Hungary

• Szilard Molnar, ISTRI

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Hungarys National Information Society Strategy
(NISS)

• This year the following fields got the support
• Domestic researches related to information
  society, adopting foreign experiences, creation
  of databases.
• Information infrastructure of non-governmental
  organisations.
• Initiatives related to the popularisation of the
  information society and raising the awareness in
  its development.
• Telecottage program (160 new telecottage
  supporting)

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Hungarys National Information Society Strategy
(NISS)

• Plans for next year involve to support
• 10,000 civil servants, 10,000 educators and
  libraries to get computers
• the information infrastructure of small and
  medium-sized enterprises
• public educational institutions taking on adult
  training.
• 40 billion HUF will be spent (in Euro 160
  million) on these programs in 2001 and 2002 via
  competition support

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Take-off problems of Hungary

• out of 100 people who have access to the
  Internet, the opportunity is given to
• approx. 35 people at the workplace,
• approx. 28 people at home,
• approx. 25 people in school, and
• approx. 12 people in different community centres
  like libraries, telecottages, Internet cafés,
  etc.)

• In households, the proportion of personal
  computer penetration was
• 11 percent in 1998,
• 15 percent in 1999,
• 17 percent in 2000,
• 22 percent in September (source World Internet
  Project, Hungary, 2001)
• EU average 45 percent

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Take-off problems of Hungary
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Take-off problems of Hungary
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Take-off problems of Hungary

• Hungarys Information Society
• Drop behind or Take off
• It will very important question of upcoming
  years.
• Depends on regular revision of NISS
• New elections in 2002
• Joining European Union
• Concusion changes are sure, but their direction
  is unknown