Special reporter on Europe Links Sweden as an IT nation Reasons for the spread of IT Uneven access to computers and the Internet Government IT policy Sweden is the world's leading IT nation and Stockholm is increasingly described as the Internet capital of Europe. The rapid expansion of companies within the IT and Internet sector has attracted international attention. As Sweden is in the forefront of such areas as mobile telecommunications and cordless Internet applications, the country has become an important test market for international IT companies.
Information technology is widespread in Sweden.
Every second household has a computer with an Internet connection and 72 per cent of the working population in Sweden were using computers in their work by 1998. The number of mobile telephone users increases each year and now exceeds four million. Sweden's high rate of use of information technology has contributed to the development of new companies in the IT sector and to economic growth throughout the country. Information technology has also opened up new opportunities for dialogue between citizens and for the strengthening of direct democracy. There are a number of reasons why information technology has become so widespread in Sweden.