Fixed broadband cost less in EU nations: ITU

Nearly a third of population in Western Europe have their own broadband connection, according to the latest survey from the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

Broadband is also affordable in these developed, wealthy EU nations, as the broadband subscription cost around just 1% of the income of the users, the study has revealed.

Among the European countries, UK offers the cheapest broadband with subscribers paying just 0.63% of their monthly income for a connection. When it comes to broadband uptake, 29.8% of the 100 people in the UK  have signed up for a fixed broadband service, while France and Germany come with 31.1% and 30.4% respectively.

In South Korea, the fastest broadband nation on the globe, people spend around 1.41% of their monthly income for using broadband. Out of every 100 South Koreans, 33.8% have their own broadband connection.

“Broadband is today’s truly transformational technology. As with the dawn of other inventions that profoundly reshaped our society, most of us are yet to see the tremendous power and potential of these networks. It’s not just about fast web browsing.

Through e-health, e-education, e-government, smart grids, smart transport systems and much more, broadband will power economic and social progress in the 21st century.”  Dr Hamadoun Touré, the ITU’s Secretary-General said.

In countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China, users spend from 4.5% up to 7.15% of their income to access broadband, while the broadband penetration is below 10% (out of 100 people) in these countries.

By contrast, broadband is very expensive in the poorest countries (such as Ethiopia in Africa) which are struggling to build the network infrastructure. On average, a broadband connection in such countries, would cost more than 100% of the monthly income of a user, the report shows.