Global Internet

"Internet audiences in India, the Russian Federation and China increased the most in 2006, growing 33, 21 and 20 percent, respectively.  China now represents the second-largest Internet population in the world, with 86.8 million users, after the U.S., which rose 2 percent year-over-year to 153.4 million users age 15 or older in January 2007(ComScore, March 6, 2007)."

Bob Ivins, managing director, comScore Europe said: “Internet users outside the U.S. now account for 80 percent of the world’s online population, with rapidly developing countries experiencing double-digit growth rates year-over-year.”  In 1996, John Quarterman of MIDS ,estimated that 60% of the worldwide population was US based and that 40% was non-USA.

Broadband = Engagement or more time spent online

"...in each of the top 10 countries, the time spent online by users with a broadband connection was substantially greater than the time spent by users with a narrowband connection. We have all believed that ‘always-on’ broadband connections stimulate usage – this study empirically confirms that conclusion,” Ivins commented.