Poland: Playing catch-up
FROM THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY FORUM
Poland, which joined the EU in 2005, has one of Europe's least developed information societies. But its ICT sector is growing fast and represents an above-average share of its total GDP.
Broadband penetration in Poland is among the lowest in Europe, according to a new EU report*. Latest figures estimate it to reach 4.5% of the population, more than 10% below the European average**, and six times less than the Netherlands at the top.
With barely a third of the population classified as regular internet users, usage of online services is equally low. Poland's eGovernment services rank among the bottom six countries. Only 8.3% of public services are available online for citizens, and 37.5% for businesses, well below the average of 36.8% and 67.8% respectively.
But interestingly, the number of businesses using eGovernment is much closer to the EU norm. This suggests that the services do not match the high willingness to use them – a phenomena observed in other less mature markets.
Even more encouraging, figures from 2003 show that Poland’s ICT sector is the fourth fastest growing in Europe, at at rate of 5% just behind Ireland, the UK and Greece. The same year, the sector’s share of the total GDP amounted to 5.5% - on level with the EU average. Meanwhile Poland's R&D spending on ICT and employment in the sector rank 16th, better than on most criteria. While recent year's statistics are not yet available, the 2004-2006 years are expected to have shown similar growth in terms of IT development.
This is in accord with other less developed countries, where the ICT sector tends to grow fast and accounts for a large share of the country’s employment, GDP and R&D spending – all promising signs for bridging the digital gap.–Eva Tallaksen
i2010 Annual Report: Poland
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Broadband
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
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Rank
|
|
Total DSL coverage (as % of total population)
|
55.2
|
62.3
|
|
24
|
|
DSL coverage in rural areas (as % of total population)
|
|
51.9
|
|
18
|
|
Broadband penetration (as % of population)
|
0.6
|
1.7
|
4.5
|
23
|
|
DSL penetration (as % of population)
|
0.3
|
1.2
|
3.4
|
23
|
|
Predominant download speed
|
|
0.5-1 Mbps
|
|
|
|
Households having broadband (as % of those having access to the internet at home)
|
31.8
|
51.2
|
60.2
|
18
|
|
% of enterprises with broadband access
|
27.8
|
42.7
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46.4
|
27
|
|
Number of 3G subscribers per 100 inhabitants
|
|
0.0
|
|
19
|
|
Digital Television in households
|
|
19.2
|
|
10
|
|
Music: number of single downloads per 100 inhabitants
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internet Usage
|
|
|
|
|
|
% population who are regular internet users
|
22.4
|
29.3
|
34.4
|
23
|
|
Take up of internet services (as % of population)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sending emails
|
19.3
|
24.1
|
27.2
|
25
|
|
Looking for information about goods and services
|
14.7
|
18.0
|
24.7
|
25
|
|
Internet telephoning or videoconferencing
|
3.5
|
4.5
|
8.0
|
13
|
|
Playing/downloading games and music
|
14.0
|
12.0
|
16.2
|
20
|
|
Listening to the web radio/watching web tv
|
5.6
|
5.7
|
9.8
|
20
|
|
Reading online newspapers/magazines
|
13.6
|
12.5
|
16.1
|
20
|
|
Internet banking
|
4.0
|
5.9
|
9.1
|
23
|
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Places of access
|
|
|
|
|
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% at home
|
15.0
|
20.4
|
26.4
|
23
|
|
% at work
|
8.8
|
11.1
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13.1
|
26
|
|
% at educational place
|
7.8
|
10.0
|
9.9
|
10
|
|
% at PIAP
|
11.4
|
6.0
|
5.5
|
14
|
|
eGovernment Indicators
|
|
|
|
|
|
% basic public services for citizens fully available online
|
0.0
|
|
8.3
|
23
|
|
% basic public services for enterprises fully available online
|
25.0
|
|
37.5
|
24
|
|
% of population using e-Government in forms
|
12
|
12
|
5
|
25
|
|
% of enterprises using e-Government services
|
74
|
64
|
61
|
18
|
|
ICT in schools
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of computers connected per 100 pupils
|
|
|
5.6
|
24
|
|
% of schools with broadband access
|
|
|
28.0
|
26
|
|
% of teachers having used the computer in class during the last 12 months
|
|
|
61.4
|
22
|
|
e-Commerce
|
|
|
|
|
|
E-commerce as % of total turnover of enterprises
|
2.8
|
4.4
|
5.9
|
17
|
|
% enterprises receiving internet orders
|
3.8
|
4.2
|
7.1
|
20
|
|
% enterprises purchasing on the internet
|
9.7
|
17.2
|
22.7
|
16
|
|
e-business. % enterprises:
|
|
|
|
|
|
with integrated internal business processes
|
15.5
|
18.0
|
19.5
|
22
|
|
with integrated external business processes
|
10.4
|
5.6
|
4.7
|
24
|
|
Security: % enterprises using Secure servers
|
8.7
|
12.0
|
14.4
|
24
|
|
% using digital signatures for authentication
|
19.4
|
13.6
|
13.3
|
9
|
|
Employment and Skills
|
|
|
|
|
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% employees using computers connected to the Internet
|
21.5
|
27.1
|
27.8
|
21
|
|
% of persons employed with ICT user skills.
|
15.1
|
14.8
|
15.2
|
23
|
|
% of persons employed with ICT specialist skills
|
2.8
|
2.7
|
2.7
|
17
|
|
Indicators on growth of ICT sector and R&D
|
|
|
|
|
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ICT sector share of total GDP
|
|
|
|
11
|
|
ICT sector share of total employment
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
ICT sector growth (constant prices).
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
R&D expenditure in ICT by the business sector, as % of GDP
|
|
|
|
16
|
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=== as % of total R&D expenditure
|
|
|
|
16
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SOURCE: The Economist Intelligence Unit
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