[icernet] One person in 10 expected to be online in 2002

[Arul Selvan MIC]

The number of people using the internet around the world is booming with
near 30 per cent growth expected in 2002. The United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (Unctad) predicts the number of users will
reach 655 million this year, or one-tenth of the world's population,
compared to 500 million in 2001.

The annual E-Commerce and Development Report estimates trade in goods
and services over the internet could reach $2.3bn this year, a 50 per
cent jump on last year, and could hit $3.9bn by the end of 2003. The
reported is considered a key indicator of the development of e-commerce,
which is notoriously difficult to quantify.

About a third of new users were from developing countries in 2001 but
the percentage of the population using the internet was still far higher
in rich nations, the report said. The US had the most users, with nearly
143 million people online, followed by China with some 56.6 million.

BBC News - November 18, 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2490131.stm