Global Telecom Group Finds Number of Internet Users Worldwide Doubles in Past Five Years

WASHINGTON, October 20, 2010 -The number of global internet users doubled in the past five years and will surpass the 2 billion mark in 2010, according to new data from the International Telecommunications Union.

The number of people having home internet access has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. The new data were released on the eve of World Statistics Day, which is Wednesday.

Developing countries will contribute 162 million of the 226 million new internet users in 2010, found the ITU. By the end of 2010, 71 percent of the population in developed countries will be online compared to 21 percent of the population in developing countries.

Sixty-five percent of people in developed countries have access to the internet at home, while 13.5 percent of people in developing countries do. Internet access via schools, at work and public locations is critical in developing regions, says the ITU. Regional differences are significant with 65 percent of Europeans on the internet, compared to only 9.6 percent of Africans.

With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed broadband connections, says the report.