Two thirds of households of Estonia have access to the Internet at home
According to Statistics Estonia, in the 1st quarter of 2009 63% of Estonian households had access to the Internet at home, compared to the same period of the previous year this indicator has increased five percentage points. Almost all enterprises with 10 and more persons employed had access to the Internet as in the previous three years.
The connection to the Internet was more widespread among households with children and two or more adults. In rural settlements the broadband connection via telephone line (DSL connection) and in urban settlements broadband connection via cable TV was more common.
Nearly three quarters of population aged 16–74 used computers and the Internet and mostly at home. The most popular activities while using the Internet were reading newspapers/magazines, Internet banking and sending/receiving e-mails.
Almost all enterprises with 10 and more persons employed used computers and the Internet. A few enterprises who can manage without computers use the services of bookkeeping firms for the management of public business and accountancy or the respective activities are performed by the parent enterprise. The most popular type of Internet connection among enterprises was DSL broadband connection.
ID-card was used by half of the enterprises with 10 and more persons employed. ID card was used mostly for authorizing users in information systems and for giving digital signature. The most active users of ID-card were the enterprises of human health and social work activities, financial and insurance activities and professional, scientific and technical activities.
Statistics Estonia conducts the survey of information technology usage among persons aged 16–74 and in households as an annex to the Labour Force Survey since 2005. The survey is carried out in the 2nd quarter; the reference period is the 1st quarter. In 2009, 4,000 persons participated in the survey. Household is a group of persons who live at the same address and share joint financial resources and whose members consider themselves to be members of one household, while family is based on relationship or kinship.
Statistics Estonia has surveyed the use of information technology in enterprises since 2001. In 2009, 3,500 enterprises participated in the survey. The survey involves enterprises with 10 and more persons employed.
The usage of information technology in households and by individuals aged 16–74 and in enterprises is studied by statistical organisations in all European Union Member States on the basis of harmonised methodology.