The Internet is now a fundamental infrastructure supporting the economy and is firmly
in its 2nd stage of development, having evolved from a data network connecting PCs
with wires to a much broader network of new portable devices from mobile phones to
tablet computers. It is also on the cusp of a much larger expansion to objects that
typically did not have communications capabilities: the “Internet of things” is projected
to have more connections than the people using them. This raises many important socio-economic
and political issues for stakeholders to consider, as economies and societies become
increasingly inter-meshed.
Supported by time series data, this publication begins with an overview of trends
and highlights how the Internet sector has proven to be resilient during the recent
economic crisis. It then examines the various drivers and impacts of Internet use
and deployment, as well as emerging technologies, broadband, e-commerce, e-health,
digital content, security and privacy, and reflects on a methodology for measuring
the Internet economy.
This mobile app, available for free download on iTunes provides a statistical overview of the Internet economy in a format designed for mobile devices. It offers quick access to data on employment, connectivity, business usage, security and privacy related to the Internet economy.