Broadband continues to grow in the EU
November 20, 2009
With more than 11 million new fixed lines laid in a year, the take up of broadband Internet continues to grow in Europe. According to a report published by the European Commission, 24 per cent of the EU population had a broadband access line subscription in July 2009, up from 21.6 per cent in July 2008.
The report also shows that mobile broadband is gaining momentum in Europe, with a 54 per cent increase since January and now at a penetration rate of 4.2 per cent per 100 citizens. Last but not least, broadband Internet connections in Europe are increasingly faster. 80 per cent of broadband lines in the EU now have download speeds of 2 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater (allowing the use of Web 2.0 and video streaming), which is 5 per cent up from last year.