Increasing numbers of Swedes are able to access the Internet through broadband. Currently, 40 per cent of all Swedish households can get access to broadband. This is shown in the National Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) Report ‘Broadband in Sweden 2005’. The development of broadband is progressing more rapidly than ever. In the report, PTS estimates that by 1 January 2005, 1.8 million Swedish households (approximately 40 per cent of the total number of households) could connect to some form of broadband network. This represents an increase of almost 30 per cent compared with the same time in 2004. Moreover, 1.2 million Swedish households had broadband connections by the end of 2004, an increase of just over 30 per cent in one year from 0.9 million. This means that one-third, approximately 600,000, of households that can get broadband have not made use of this opportunity.
Increasing numbers have acquired broadband subscriptions with a capacity of 2 Mbps or more. This number has almost tripled in the course of a year, from 165,000 to 490,000 by the end of December 2004.
The report also shows figures for broadband coverage in Swedish municipalities. The coverage figures show the proportion of the population living in areas where broadband is available to some extent, not the proportion that can get broadband at any given time. The figures are broken down into individual municipalities and are based on estimates made by the municipalities themselves. The report is based on questionnaire responses from 277 municipalities and 337 companies that provide network capacity or broadband subscriptions.
For further information: Anders Johanson, Head of Network Security Department, telephone: (+46) 708 - 454450