Internet growth and level of development 

• The economies of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are much more developed than the rest of Asian economies and experience high Internet growth.

• In Asia the Internet will grow significantly, in particular in the more developed economies. Japan will remain the most dominant Internet force in the region, both for business and consumer markets.

• Developing countries in Asia will only account for a small fraction of the overall Internet usage, although they will experience significant growth in terms of numbers.

• In developing Internet countries growth will be largely restricted to urban areas. In addition to a poor network infrastructure the necessary technology (phone, PC and modem) is still not affordable for most sections of society. Many users will use the same connection. These countries will have very low Internet penetration rates whereas highly developed Internet countries like Japan and Australia will experience increasing Internet penetration across the entire population.