Ireland ahead for mobile broadband but fixed line broadband lags behind, says EU report
Consumer demand, skills gap
Ireland now ranks fifth in the EU in mobile broadband penetration but is still below the EU average for fixed line connections according to a new report from the European Commission.
According to the report Ireland boasts 60% penetration of mobile broadband with growth continuing in an upward curve. However fixed line services are stagnating, with just under a quarter of households
(24.3%) signed up, ranking Ireland 17th of the 27 EU member states.
DSL remains the most common broadband technology but the share of non-DSL broadband lines has increased with most of the growth coming from cable broadband. One reason for that is the price for the so-called ‘local loop’ – the copper wire that connects the households with the local exchange. It’s owned by the local telephone company and competitors have to rent this wire. The prices they have to pay for that are still among the highest in the EU.
The report also found the most significant trends in the EU’s ICT sector are greater data consumption and a shift to mobile technologies (such as smartphones) and mobile services, which now account for 8 million jobs and 6% of EU GDP. The digital demand in Europe is being undermined by failure to supply enough fast Internet, online content, research and relevant skills.
European Commission vice president Neelie Kroes said: "Europeans are hungry for digital technologies and more digital choices, but governments and industry are not keeping up with them. This attachment to 20th century policy mindsets and business models is hurting Europe’s economy. It’s a terrible shame. We are shooting ourselves in the foot by under-investing. Europe will be flattened by its global competitors if we continue to be complacent."
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