Internet use in CEECs catching up with Western Europe
Internet use in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) is catching up with that of Western Europe, according to a new study by market analysts IDC. The percentage of the population using the Internet at least once a month in the region is expected to reach 17 per cent in 2003 and 27 per cent in 2006. The growth is driven predominantly by use in the workplace and schools. Estonians and Slovenians are using the Internet the most regularly, and Internet penetration levels in these countries are comparable with those of Western Europe. The reasons for such high user levels in these countries are government initiatives to promote Internet usage in schools and public access points and efforts by businesses to promote the Internet. Increased Internet penetration is also leading to a growth in e-commerce in the region. It is forecast that total e-commerce spending in the CEECs will reach 4.1 billion euro in 2003, 90 per cent of this coming from business to business (B2B) transactions. E-commerce is proving to be most popular in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, which together account for nearly 90 per cent of the region's total e-commerce market value.