Three quarters of households have Internet connection at home

74% of households in Estonia had broadband Internet connection (DSL, cable TV, 3G mobile Internet etc.), with their share increasing by eight percentage points compared to the previous year. Almost all households with children and two or more adults had Internet connection at home. Among single adults 58% had Internet connection at home, which is ten percentage points more than in the previous year. The main obstacles to having Internet connection at home are lack of skills and high cost of equipment.

Eight out of ten persons aged 16–74 have used computers and the Internet. Use of the computer and the Internet is less widespread in the older age groups. Six out of ten persons in the age group 55–64 and three out of ten persons in the age group 65–74 used computers and the Internet. Compared to the previous year, the share of Internet users in the age groups 55–64 and 65–74 has increased by six and two percentage points, respectively.

The most common activities while using the Internet are reading web publications, e-mailing, looking for information and Internet banking. Nine out of ten Internet users have used the Internet for these purposes. The most common computer skills are copying and moving information in files and folders and transferring files between a computer and other devices. Eight and seven computer users out of ten, respectively, have performed these tasks.

About half of the employees of enterprises with 10 or more persons employed use computers and the Internet in their everyday work. In financial and insurance enterprises almost all employees use a computer, while in the enterprises of agriculture, forestry and fishing, and mining and quarrying only one fifth of employees use a computer. Nearly all enterprises with 10 or more persons employed have used the e-services of public authorities and are satisfied with these, whereas one fifth are very satisfied. In 2012, the ID card has also been used by the majority of enterprises – nine out of ten – mainly for adding a digital signature.

Statistics Estonia conducts the survey on the use of information technology among persons aged 16–74 and in households since 2005, as an annex to the Labour Force Survey. The survey is carried out in the 2nd quarter; the reference period is the 1st quarter. In 2012, 4,900 persons participated in the survey. A 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 2012, 3,100 enterprises participated in the survey. The survey involves enterprises with 10 or more persons employed.

The use 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 a harmonised methodology.