A study by commissioned by UPC into the Internet habits of the Irish has found that over three quarters of adults (80%) are now online, compared with only half in 2007. Increased broadband penetration and improved networks have also impacted the lifestyle of the population.
Shopping and the use of social networks were rated as being the most popular activities. Online shopping by 2.6 million people spending an average of €116 per month is expected to contribute €3.7 billion to the economy this year – roughly 3% of GDP. This is expected to rise to €5.7 billion by 2016.
Almost two thirds (60%) of shoppers said they would buy from an Irish website if the price matched that of an international website.
‘Second screening’ where users complement their TV experience with real time interaction across the Web was popular with 30% of respondents. The average Irish person was found to spend 2.6 hours online on a typical weekday.
Businesses also formed an important part of the survey. Over 75% of businesses said they supplied smartphones and laptops to over a third of their staff. Half of adults said they would be interested in running their own business from home facilitated by Internet access. One quarter believed they could achieve an increase of growth of an extra 5% based on the correct online strategy.
UPC commissioned Amárach Research to carry out two, parallel surveys in August 2012. the first was an online survey comprising 1,000 adults aged 16 and over, representative of Ireland’s population; and the second comprised a telephone and web survey of 201 IT decision-makers in Irish SMEs and larger corporations, with quotas to ensure a cross-section of companies by size.
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