The latest statistics from the OECD on broadband penetration again show Ireland at the bottom of the list in terms of wired access but just about above average. Globally, there are 295 million people with fixed broadband.
The average penetration rate for fixed broadband has grown to 24.3 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, up from 23.3.
Out of a list of 31 countries for fixed broadband, Ireland was ranked 22nd with a penetration rate 20.3 connections per 100 inhabitants. In the country, according to OECD statistics, there are 907,859 fixed broadband subscriptions, including DSL, cable and fibre.
On fibre-connected broadband terms, Ireland had just 1pc of its broadband base using fibre, compared with Japan (54pc), Korea (49pc), Czech Republic (10pc), US (5pc), Italy (3pc) and the Netherlands (2pc). Other European countries like Germany, Belgium, Finland and Switzerland also had 1pc.
Mobile/wireless penetration
In terms of terrestrial mobile wireless broadband subscriptions per 100 population, Ireland was No 6 on the list, with 47.1pc of the country using mobile broadband, or 2.6 million subscribers. Leading the wireless pack was Korea, with 95pc penetration, Sweden with 75pc penetration, Japan with 75pc penetration, Norway with 72pc penetration and Poland with 48.3pc penetration.
Fibre continues its growth relative to other fixed-broadband technologies, with fibre accounting for half of all broadband connections in Japan (55pc) and Korea (52pc). Other leading countries include the Slovak Republic (28pc), Sweden (24pc) and Denmark (12pc).
DSL is still the most widely used technology in the OECD, accounting for 58pc of all lines. Cable makes up 29pc and fibre-based connections have grown to 11.5pc of all lines.
