According to recent EUROSTAT research, the internet in Europe has reached an estimated 89% of enterprises and 50% of the population. Italian industry is in line with the European average, but Italians are not connected as much when compared to other European citizens.
The report shows only 31% of Italian households are connected and regularly using the Internet, similar to Eastern European countries such as Lithuania and Poland.
The difference is most likely due to the higher prices of ADSL connections which on average differ by a factor 3 (in excess) when compared to equivalent Broadband subscriptions sold in France or Germany.
Another negative factor contributing to the “Italian Digital Divide” is the absence of ADSL connectivity outside of major cities: It is common to find important suburbs and entire towns slightly beyond the reach of ADSL nodes.
Souces:
Rai.it
Beppegrillo.it
