South Korea, Japan tops in Internet speed

Canadian

GENEVA — South Korea holds a large lead over the rest of the world in the percentage of people who have high-speed Internet connections, the U.N. communications agency said Tuesday.

Between 60 and 70 per cent of all households in South Korea have a broadband connection, and cybercafes where students play on-line games are "almost on every corner," said Taylor Reynolds, one of the authors of a report by the International Telecommunication Union.

"Broadband is just an essential part of everyday life. They use it for e-mail, they use it for chat, for music, all sorts of things," Mr. Reynolds said.

The ITU's 196-page report found 63-million broadband subscribers — mainly through digital subscriber lines (DSL) or cable TV connections — worldwide at the start of 2003.

The report also found more mobile phone users — 1.16-billion — than people with fixed-line phones, 1.13-billion. The ITU first estimated that wireless phones had begun outnumbering landlines in May 2002.

More than 10-million of the world's high-speed Internet users are in South Korea alone, a rate of 21.3 broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants. Hong Kong was in second place with 14.9 per cent and Canada was third at 11.2 per cent.

The United States was in 11th place in the per-capita broadband rankings at 6.9 per cent, though it had the highest overall total with 19.9-million subscribers.

Japan was in 10th place, with 7.1 per cent broadband use. But ITU experts expect Japan to move up because it is now offering the world's fastest speeds and lowest prices. Broadband service that is about 520 times faster than a dial-up modem is available in Japan for about $24.19 (U.S.) a month.

At that speed, Japanese broadband customers can download an entire movie over the Internet in 20 minutes. South Korea is almost as fast — 26 minutes. Somebody trying to download the same movie over a standard dial-up modem would need 7.5 days.

Mr. Reynolds said a key reason why Japan and South Korea are so far ahead is because of heavy competition among broadband providers. The Japanese and South Korean governments have taken steps to encourage the use of broadband, such as requiring telephone companies to let competitors use existing lines at low cost.

Overall, monthly subscriptions are generally between $30 and $50, but run as high as $165.89 in Finland, the report said. The average U.S. cost was $53.

iwb

Here's another article on the report.

Broadband adoption skyrockets worldwide

By Jim Hu
CNET News.com
September 16, 2003, 10:28 AM PT

The number of broadband subscribers worldwide surged 72 percent in 2002, to 62 million, as more households upgraded their dial-up modems for speedier access, according to a new study.
The study, conducted by Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU), noted that South Korea leads all nations, with 21 percent of its population subscribing to a broadband service. Out of all Internet users in South Korea, 94 percent subscribe to broadband.

Hong Kong was the second-highest region for broadband adoption, with 15 percent of its population on a high-speed connection. Canada came in third with 11 percent.

The study said that the impetus for growth is greater speed to handle online games and to download digital media. Indeed, the accessibility of broadband has created a widely reported online gaming culture in South Korea.

As for the United States, broadband penetration continues to rise, and could reach 25 percent of the population faster than PCs and mobile phones did, the study said. U.S. broadband providers, namely phone companies providing digital subscriber line (DSL) service and cable companies, have reported steady growth in broadband customers. Some studies have shown healthy demand for broadband despite difficulties in implementing high-speed lines.

A study released by the market research firm Strategy Analytics in June said consumers want broadband not only for faster access, but also for economic reasons. Households are turning to broadband because it's cheaper than paying for two phone lines.

colin300

just wondering Canadian do you have a link to that report?

Eurorunner

Originally posted by colin300
just wondering Canadian do you have a link to that report?

link