Yup, 72% of web users in the US are broadband users. Last year the figure was 57%. Meanwhile in Ireland just 32% of web users are on broadband. Also while the amount of web users increases in the states it remains the same here. Read the Nielsen Netratings Report (PDF).
It’s looking really well for companies too:
Broadband composition remains high in the workplace, with 90 percent saturation in May 2006; a year ago that figure was at 82 percent.
I met a guy from eircom on sat for a chat and he said it’s been really difficult to move people from narrowband (dialup) to broadband even when they show the great advantages and potential for savings. My bigger worry is that we need to start getting more people online and right now nobody is looking into this. All the focus is on getting our broadband stats looking better and they’ve gone the quick route of trying to covert dialup users. Big picture folks, big picture.
Call me cynical, but I do believe that eircom are somewhat to blame for this low figure. Sorry, if anyone works for eircom and all, but it has to be said that eircom don’t make life particularly easy for their customers with standard phone line installations alone, what with delays, etc.
I think the low take up drips down from this. Ok, sure, I take the point that eircom aren’t the sole providers of broadband in the country, but they must surely hold the highest proportion.
I do agree though, that not enough is being done to get more people online, whether it be dial-up or broadband. But then again, the average middle-aged couple, with all children away from the nest, might not see the benefits of installing broadband. Severe marketing-for-all-ages required.
I Know that Eircom has not worked to move people to broadband. In fact they continue to build roadblocks to broadband to private users. And in fact go to extreme lengths to boost profit off business tele working arrangements. Eircom has not gotten out of the mindset of per-minute rate plans. And VoIP is more or less beyond their thinking or maybe it is the root of their resistance. The fear of loss in the voice per minute rate plans, and the fact that no local calls are included in the base line fee says a lot about where their thinking lies.
[…] Speaking of Internet habits in Ireland as compared to the US, Damien Mulley writes that access to the Web has remained static in Ireland as there is a concentration on upgrading users from Narrowband to Broadband, while in the US it continues to grow. […]