Network Access

Germany and it's Internet Accessibility

Germany has one of the top Internet penetration rates in Europe, behind only the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom. Internet use in Germany has jumped nearly fivefold in the last two years, from 6.5 million users in 1999 to 33 million in 2001, according to the EITO 2002 report. EITO expects the number of German Internet users will rise at a CAGR of 15 percent to 53.4 million in 2005 (roughly 64 percent of the population) as use of the Internet by businesses and individuals grows.

The Government promotes Internet Activity

The German government has been eager to see the Internet and e-commerce take off in order to increase the country’s competitiveness, energize the economy, and provide jobs in the face of high unemployment. The government, especially at the federal (national) level, has made large strides over the past few years in helping increase Internet use within Germany.

E-government

Although it lags the sophistication of some of its European counterparts, the German government’s use of Internet technologies has advanced rapidly during the last few years.Even just two or three years ago, the German central government’s use of the Internet was very limited. For the most part, forms could not be filed electronically, websites were few, and German government officials often did not give out their e-mail addresses. In 1999, the government announced a concerted effort to increase its own Internet use. All government agencies at the federal and local levels now have e-mail and websites, and the government is trying to improve the quality of services it offers to the public over the Internet.