Point of access– the nature of the location can be fixed or mobile and, say, be at home
or work. According to the National Statistics Office (2005), the most common place to
access the Internet was at home (88%), although 48% have accessed it at work, 29%
at another person’s home, 13% at a place of education and 10% at a public library.
The main means of access was via a desktop computer (85%) followed by a laptop
(28%) and mobile phone (22%). In Britain, in July 2005, over half of households
(approximately 12.9 million) could access the Internet from home, a trend which has
been increasing year on year.
Geographical location– there are varying levels of Internet penetration around the
globe (see Table 10.1 and Table 10.2 for various statistics). Asia now has the largest
number of Internet users, followed by the European Union (EU). Interestingly the
USA no longer has the highest density of users per head of population (see Table 10.2)
as in Sweden over 75% of the population are connected to the Internet. The size and
density of user populations vary considerably from country to country and a key
reason for this is the Internet infrastructure, which has not developed to the same
extent on a worldwide scale. In general, northern European countries have a higher
level of Internet penetration per head of population than southern European and
former Eastern bloc countries. Underdeveloped, highly populated nations tend to
have a comparatively low level of Internet penetration but more rapid growth rates
than compared with highly developed nations.From an e-retailers perspective, digital technologies and the Internet create an opportu-
nity to cross barriers created by time and geography. However, it should also be
remembered that where people live has potential strategic and operational implications.
(This issue is discussed at the end of this chapter.)CHAPTER 10· BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER INTERNET MARKETING
Table 10.1World Internet users and population statistics (2005)
World regions Population Population Internet usage, % Population Usage % Usage growth
(2005 est.) % of world latest data (penetration) of world 2000–2005
Africa 896,721,874 14.0 % 23,917,500 2.7 % 2.5 % 429.8 %
Asia 3,622,994,130 56.4 % 332,590,713 9.2 % 34.2 % 191.0 %
Europe 804,574,696 12.5 % 285,408,118 35.5 % 29.3 % 171.6 %
Middle East 187,258,006 2.9 % 16,163,500 8.6 % 1.7 % 392.1 %
North America 328,387,059 5.1 % 224,103,811 68.2 % 23.0 % 107.3 %
Latin America/Caribbean 546,723,509 8.5 % 72,953,597 13.3 % 7.5 % 303.8 %
Oceania / Australia 33,443,448 0.5 % 17,690,762 52.9 % 1.8 % 132.2 %
WORLD TOTAL 6,420,102,722 100.0 % 972,828,001 15.2 % 100.0 % 169.5 %
Notes: (1) Internet usage and world population statistics were updated on November 21, 2005. (2) CLICK on each world region for detailed
regional information. (3) Demographic (Population) numbers are based on data contained in the world-gazetteerweb site. (4) Internet usage
information comes from data published by Nielsen//NetRatings, by the International Telecommunications Union, by local NICs, and by other
reliable sources. (5) For definitions, disclaimer, and navigation help, see the Site Surfing Guide. (6) Information from this site may be cited,
giving due credit and establishing an active link back to http://www.internetworldstats.com. ©Copyright 2005, Miniwatts International, Ltd. All rights
reserved.
Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm