A recipe for web success - 01/2001

The fact that all Scandinavian countries have higher rates of Internet penetration than the rest of Europe is no coincidence, as recent analysis from eMarketer shows.

PC penetration in Denmark was over 40 percent in 1999, largely due to a government policy that allows companies to deduct the cost of computers from their tax bills.

The high level of PC ownership in the country, widespread telephone ownership, an IT-literate workforce, and the low cost of Internet access have contributed toward the country's high rate of Internet adoption. Currently, 38 percent of the adult population of Denmark (1.7 million people) are active web users.

Finland, home of mobile-communications-giant Nokia, is a tech-savvy nation, with two-thirds of the workforce using information technology at work. The Finnish are motivated to use the Internet by low access costs, the prevalence of free Internet terminals at public libraries and schools, and the large distances separating people.

It's estimated that 1.9 million people, or 44 percent of the Finnish adult population, used the Internet for at least one hour a week in 2000.

Sweden's rate of Internet adoption can be attributed to its well developed telecommunications infrastructure, high PC penetration, prosperous economy, and educated population. Over 50 percent of Swedish adults (3.9 million people) are active Internet users.

Internet penetration in Norway is currently at 45 percent of the adult population. As with the other Nordic countries, the growth in Internet access has been fostered by advanced infrastructures, high PC and telephone penetration, a strong economy, and low connection rates.

However, high taxes and the fact that it's not a member of the EU (and therefore doesn't use the Euro) mean that there are more constraints on Internet and ecommerce growth in Norway than in the rest of Scandinavia.

www.emarketer.com