According to data made available by EUSTAT the population aged 15 and over with access to Internet at home accounted for 34.7% in the second quarter of 2003. Furthermore, access to PC’s in the home has overcome the 50% barrier; in particular, 52.8% of people aged over 15 had a computer in their home at the end of the last quarter.

With regard to the mobile phone, the proportion of the population with access to a mobile pone reached 83.1% during the first half of 2003, representing an increase of 5% in comparison to the end of 2002. It is worth mentioning that this increase largely corresponds to the sector of the population aged over 45.

The survey carried out by Eustat in the second quarter of 2003 provides information for the first time about children between the age of 6 and 14. This age group has a level of access significantly higher than the population average to all of the domestic equipment mentioned above, to the extent that 45% have an Internet connection at home, 75% have a PC and 95% have a mobile telephone at their disposal, at least, in their home.

The percentage of Internet users is approaching 31% of the population aged 15 and over.

With the aim of improving the international comparability of statistical data and following the methodology set out by Eurostat (European Union Statistics Office), Eustat has limited the concept of Internet user included in the data for the second quarter of 2003. From now on only those who have accessed the Internet at some time during the three months previous to the interview date are considered to be Internet Users. With this restriction the number of users aged 15 and over reached 30.9%.

Including the previous quarter the number of persons who have used Internet at sometime or other would be over 600,000 and would represent an increase of 12.5% in standardised terms.

Internet users connect more and more from the family home, the proportion using equipment at their study centre to go online is falling and the importance of the workplace in this aspect just about remains stable. It should be pointed out that less than 10% of Internet users use other access points, among which the Kzguneak begin to feature with more than 10,000 users in the last quarter.

Among children aged between 6 and 14, the proportion of Internet users is slightly higher than the overall average, reaching 35%, which would imply that a quarter of this age group, despite having access to Internet do not use it, probably due to their age or lack of parental permission, as it is this group which as the highest percentage of PC users, 83%, higher than any other age group.

The number of Internet users who make purchases over the Net has not changed.

Around 98,200 internet users, almost the same figure as six months previous, made some or other purchase over the Internet, of which more than 81,000 had carried out this transaction in the three months leading up to the survey, with an average expenditure of 275 €. The majority booking trips (31.4%), or purchasing books (22.5%), or tickets for theatre, shows, cinema etc (19.7%) or bought music (16.7%).

The Information Society and the Family Survey data are subject to sampling errors arising from the use of a sample of 3,750 families and 5,500 individuals in each quarter. This survey was carried out for the first time with Eurostat methodology in collaboration with INE and the A.C. of the Basque Country.