ISPs Consolidate in Europe

The market of Internet service providers (ISPs) in the European core countries Germany, Great Britain and France is consolidating. This is according to the results of the latest eighth wave of research from the Internet user monitor EURO.NET run by NFO Infratest.

In all three countries, the research shows that the respective ISP market is dominated by only a few providers controlling more than two-thirds of their respective areas. In Germany and France, this figure is thought to be as high as three-quarters. In the previous year the concentration of market shares in the three countries was lower (June 2000).

The NFO Infratest research also indicates that, in the future, broadband access will play a decisive role in the competition for ISP market shares. This is confirmed by the fact that acceptance of broadband access is increasing markedly across Europe. Six percent of Internet users in Germany and France already have broadband access as of mid 2001. The access is much lower in GB however, ranking at about some three percent of all users. A further finding shows that roughly one third of German Internet users intend to get broadband access in the future. The prediction for future access in Britain has been set at 29% and 37% for France.

These EURO.NET study results are based on a panel of 30,133 computer-aided telephone interviews conducted in Germany, Great Britain and France during June 2001.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.