This year has seen an increase in the use of mobile phones and Internet access by households. The proportion of households with Internet access rose by seven percentage points to 53.1% in 2006. The use of mobile phones increased significantly in 2006, in use by 87.2% of households. There was also an increased use of Internet enabled mobile phones, although the use of this device was comparatively low at 6.5%.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that the use of television remained predominant in Maltese households, with a notable shift away from the use of Cable TV towards Satellite dishes and digital TV.
Desktop or portable computers are the predominant tool used, with a shift away from Narrowband towards Broadband. Households not using the Internet cited the lack of need and of skills as the primary reason for their behaviour in this regard. The proportion of individuals who never use the Internet remained stable at around 58%. Out of those who use Internet, the proportion of individuals using this medium every day rose from 61.7% in 2005 to 67.6% in 2006. With regards to the location of Internet use, the predominant response was from one’s own home, although there was in 2006 an increase in use from places of education.
As in 2005, around two-thirds of individuals in the 2006 survey responded that they have never undertaken any formal e-skills training.
The use of e-commerce remained stable between 2005 and 2006, with around 60% of persons using the Internet responding that they have never made use of this service. Among the persons using e-commerce, there was in 2006 a shift towards buying from retailers known over the Internet and for the purposes of acquiring music and DVDs.
See also:
Internet subscriptions up by 2.9% in September
By MaltaMedia News
Nov 3, 2006, 12:43 CET
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