Europe's ISP Sales Up 53% in 1998, to Rise 44% in '99, IDC Says
Europe's ISP Sales Up 53% in 1998, to Rise 44% in '99, IDC Says
London, April 12 (Bloomberg) -- Western Europe's Internet Service Providers will see revenue rise 44 percent this year following 53 percent growth to $4.3 billion in 1998, market research company International Data Corp. said.
Faster Internet access through broadband cable networks will fuel the growth, which is estimated to grow by an average of 32 percent annually through 2003, the report said. This will more than offset lower prices as competition from free ISPs increases.
"Broadband access is the fastest growing segment of the Internet access market," James Eibisch, research manager of IDC's European ISP markets program, said in a statement.
Several European cable companies, including the Netherlands' United Pan-Europe Communications NV and Britain's NTL Inc., are offering or plan to offer Internet access using cable modems, which enable speeds as much as 100 times faster than regular phone lines.
The report predicts that sales growth from providing Internet access to companies will begin to slow in 2002, although ISPs will be able to make up for this by adding services like electronic commerce and voice and fax transmission.
"As with many product or service market cycles, any slowdown in growth will be tempered by an increase in revenues generated by additional services," Eibisch said. |
