European broadband uptake expected to reach 28 per cent by 2008

Brussels, 28 May 2003

The latest figures from Jupiter Research show that broadband uptake in European households will reach 28 per cent by 2008.

The research findings also suggest that Europe will overtake the US, with 48 per cent of European households using broadband connections, compared to 46 per cent in the US, by 2007.

Analysts claim that the growth in the number of households in Europe switching to broadband cable and DSL connections is directly linked to increased consumer interest, wider availability and competitive pricing.

'Internet users are highly price sensitive when adopting broadband. Recent moves by European and UK providers to offer cheaper DSL and cable services have proved extremely popular. This will continue to drive increased broadband growth,' says Ian Fogg, analyst at Jupiter Research.

Yet figures from the end of 2002 show that limited broadband availability and poor communication are causing a slow migration and uptake in some regions of Europe, with the result that broadband penetration varies, ranging from only one per cent in households in Greece to 19 per cent in Belgium.

By 2008, these two countries will continue to represent the extremes of Europe's broadband market, with broadband implementation rates ranging from 10 per cent to 42 per respectively. However, improvements in broadband technology will lead to a wider geographical uptake, the report claims.

In the case of the larger European countries, broadband households will continue to increase in number, with over 12 million in Germany, nearly seven million in France and eight million in the UK by 2008. However, the growth of broadband in Spain will be the quickest in Europe, with over two million households switching to broadband by 2004.

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities