Usage Summary

There is a lack of available data for much of the early period of the Internet and there are differences between the different sources quoted - presumably on account of the methods used to quantify figures. Additionally, there are, in some cases, problems in finding up to date figures and forecasts

Given these shortfalls it is still possible to see that the growth in number of users, (figure 1) hosts, (figure 4) and web sites (figure 5) has grown in an almost exponential manner between 1995 and 2006. '

Predictions are that the US has a steadily growing number of Internet users between 1995 and 2006 and this looks set to continue until the market finally becomes saturated. (figure 3).

With both of these figures there will come a levelling off, as the exponential growth in users is constrained by the world population and the growth in use in America is likewise constrained by the US population reaching saturation.

In 2001, 80% of all UK businesses had websites; this was up from 66% in 2000. At the same time the amount of UK SMEs on line was 1.9 million, up from 1.7 million the year before [DTI 2001][i].'

At the same time as this level of growth of usage, the cost of connection has dropped as there are more users using the service.

At the same time of lowered costs, there has been an increase in the speed of connection to the Internet from dial-up 9,600 Kbps modems in 1992 to xDSL and cable in the UK in 2002 and T1 and T2 line in other parts of the world (figure 6). The level of users accessing the Internet by broadband in the OECD is showing increase, especially in Korea and America (figure 7).

Given these statistics, it is a reasonable assertion to make that there are increasing numbers of people in the world that can access the Internet in faster and cheaper access channels as time and maturity of the Internet increase.