Broadband Internet access already represents over one third of all paid accesses to the Internet. Cable and ADSL access jointly represent 35% of the total, according to data compiled by the Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) for the fourth quarter of 2001.
Cable Internet access alone rose to 94,000 customers by the end of last year, 273% higher than the level at the end of 2000. ADSL rose to 2,474 accesses by the end of 2001, 98% higher than the level at the end of the third quarter, 2001.
The total number of paid and so-called "free-of-charge" subscribers, including broadband and narrowband, rose to 3.5 million in December 2001, 64% higher than the level recorded at the end of 2000.
"Free-of-charge" accesses represent 92% of this total, with around 3.2 million customers. This type of access may, however, conceal a certain degree of duplication by some subscribers that use more than one Internet access service.
Overall, by the end of 2001, Portugal had a penetration rate for the Internet access service of 33.5%, reflecting significant growth on the 21% penetration rate recorded at the end of 2000.
On December 31, 2001, 48 Internet access providers were registered in ANACOM of which 30 are currently in activity.
|
2000 |
2001 |
|||
1st Qtr. |
2nd Qtr. |
3rd Qtr. |
4th Qtr. |
||
Total Number of Customers |
2 110 828 |
2 602 108 |
2 976 423 |
3 051 404 |
3 459 419 |
''Free-of-charge'' access customers |
1 860 694 |
2 371 467 |
2 725 452 |
2 797 446 |
3 184 020 |
Paid access Business Customers |
28 656 |
25 099 |
26 223 |
22 721 |
25 767 |
Paid access Individual Customers |
196 324 |
168 377 |
169 447 |
160 900 |
155 796 |
Cable Access Customers |
25 154 |
37 165 |
55 301 |
70 337 |
93 836 |
Consult:
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=277884