” “Within the European Union, "over one half of households own an Internet access", and this figure is rising all the time: this is the first figure shown by the Report on the use of the information and communication technology, submitted today by Eurostat, the statistics office of the European Community. To be precise, as of late March 2006, 52% of the families of the member states could use the Internet from their homes; in March 2005, they amounted to 48%. The broadband, which provides a faster type of connection, is available in one third of homes. As to businesses, "94% of them have at least 10 employees with an Internet connection". As to the frequency in the use of the Internet, Eurostat reveals that "47% of private citizens use it at least once a week". The Report submitted in Brussels, which also speaks of e-commerce, computer skills and online public services, includes a "place list by country": "The highest rates it reads of homes having an Internet connection have been found to be in the Netherlands (80%), Denmark (79%) and Sweden (77%)". Bottom of the list are instead Greece (23%), Slovakia (27%), Hungary (32%), Lithuania and Portugal (35%). (to be continued)” ” ” “
