The onslaught from the newly taken over Esat and the cable companies will probably reduce that figure. However if Eircom finally does get its act together, DSL is a superior technology to that used on cable networks. So without the benefits of fast connections and wide bandwidth, the average internet user in Ireland may not see much of a difference until the latter part of this year. Commercial transactions on the net will still go on as they have been doing for some years now. The biggest development in electronic commerce will be the mobile aspect.
Technology moves towards simplicity.
If something is not user friendly, then the user doesn't bother using it or at least will use it grudgingly. Carrying around pockets full of coins wore out pockets and when the card phones appeared, it became simpler to purchase a phone card with a number of units available. The widespread marketing of mobile phones has made the phonecard payphones largely irrelevant. The mobiles are easier to use and they make it easier for the user. WAP enabled phones may be about to change the face of mobile phones but thinking that it will be in the same manner as an extension of the internet replete with bloatware pages is wrong.