Internet savvy - 12/2000

The European Commission has released figures which indicate that the number of European Union households hooked up to the Internet has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last six months. Internet penetration had risen to 28 per cent of EU households in October, 2000, from 18 per cent in March.

European enterprise commissioner Erkki Liikanen welcomed the increase as a sign of progress toward establishing the EU as the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. These figures are really encouraging. The year 2000 has truly been the year of the Internet in Europe.