Less than half of households have broadband, figures show

The rate of computer ownership and broadband penetration in Ireland continues to rise, figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show. However the figures also reveal that less than half of households have a broadband internet connection.

The CSO’s information society statistics for the first quarter of 2008 show that some 70 per cent of all households in Ireland, that had at least one member aged between 16-74, owned a home computer.

Computer ownership has risen steadily each year since 2005 when the level recorded was 55 per cent. Almost nine in every 10 of these households were connected to the internet, compared with 82 per cent in the same period in 2005.

The figures show overall household internet connection levels rose significantly between 2005 and 2008, from 45 per cent to 62 per cent.

However, only 43 per cent of all households in 2008 reported a broadband connnection, with 19 per cent reporting having a modem/ISDN connection only.

Broadband penetration among households in Ireland still lags behind the EU 27 average, with more than 70 per cent of households in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands having broadband in 2008. The EU 27 average is 48 per cent at present.

In 2005, only 7 per cent of all households in Ireland had a broadband connection compared with 39 per cent of households who were connected to the internet via a modem or ISDN.

By 2007, broadband had replaced modem/ISDN as the most prevalent form of internet connection for households accounting for 31 per cent compared with 25 per cent on modem/ISDN.

Separate data released by CSO showed almost all businesses with 10 or more employees were connected to the internet in the first quarter of this year.

The figures show the total of all businesses connected to the internet was 96 per cent.

Broadband connection among businesses with 10 employees or more rose to 83 per cent this year, compared to 68 per cent in 2007 and 61 per cent in 2006.