The figures show an estimated 40 million people used the Internet in 1996, but today's growth is strongly concentrated in a few countries and a large number of people around the world don't intend to go online anytime soon. The survey was conducted in November, December and January and is considered accurate to within one percentage point 19 times in 20. It found that countries in Eastern and Southern Europe have the largest numbers of adults who claim to have no interest in going online, and they own fewer home computers. Forty percent of respondents said they were aware of the Web but had no intention of using it in the next 12 months, with the majority citing a lack of interest, knowledge and relevance to their lives. Angus Reid said they believe a crucial barrier for some might be the expense of a home computer, and point to smaller, cheaper wireless devices as the key to future Internet growth.
Wireless devices make connectivity much more affordable in many countries.
Also, the Japanese have established a separate Internet Protocol data network for cell phones, making it easy to use a portable phone or pager for messaging and short information services. The US and Canada ranked highest in terms of users' Internet savvy, and Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and Australia, were close behind, the survey said. In terms of actual numbers, the 56 percent of online Canadians represents 12.5 million adults, while the 59 percent of wired Americans consists of 108.1 million adults, the study showed. The US represents about 39 percent of Internet usage worldwide. Northern European countries surpass their southern counterparts in terms of those using the Internet.