Germany in relation to other European nations

How do European experts rate Germany’s development status relative to other countries? This question was also addressed in “Deutschland Online 3”. The essential question was whether the full potential of broadband was being exploited in Germany.

The response makes for some sobering reading. With a score of 6.5, Germay falls into the lower midrange behind Sweden, France and Great Britain. Only Spain and Italy are ranked below the Federal Republic of Germany (Table 4).

Table 4:		Comparison by country: maximizing the full use and economic potential of broadband Internet (European experts)

The question about the relative competitiveness of Germany in 2015 in relation to broadband technologies drew a similar response. Germany, with a score of 7.2 occupies midrange behind the leading nations of Sweden (8.3), Great Britain (7.4) and France (7.3), with Italy and Spain bringing up the rear on 5.9 and 5.5.

A bright future is also predicted for Triple Play strategies by experts from other European countries. Around 64% of respondents agree to a high or very high degree that Triple Play is a strategic option for creating competitive edge in the hotly contested access market. Some 50% of experts from other countries rate the growth prospects of Triple Play by 2010 and 2015 as high to very high. However, Germany is accorded a relatively low ranking for its current progress on Triple Play offerings. In a comparison of six European countries, Germany earns only 6.1 of a possible 10 marks and is ranked 5th behind Sweden, France, Great Britain and Italy. Only Spain is rated lower than Germany at present (Table 5). This means Germany has considerable room for improvement in this area.

Table 5:		Comparison by country: current development status with regard to Triple Play offerings (European experts)

The future prospects for digital home solutions in the various countries are similar to the outlook for Triple Play. Around 59% of respondents are of the view that the digital home will develop strongly to very strongly in importance; some 55% expect high to very high growth in this area by 2015.

Germany is rated as having a good foothold in this field. In a comparison of the same countries, it scores 6.1 and takes 2nd place behind Sweden on 7.1. They are followed by Great Britain (6.0) and France (5.3), with Italy (4.4) and Spain (4.1) again bringing up the rear (Table 6).

Table 6:		Comparison by country: current development status with regard to digital home offerings (European experts)

The track record of these countries in e-learning and e-government is also compared. Germany once again assumes a midfield spot in this category, according to the international experts (Table 7). Sweden takes the top honors, scoring 6.6 for e-learning and an impressive 9 out of 10 for e-government. The experts put Great Britain in 2nd place on 6.2 and 7.3 respectively. In the field of e-learning, Germany scores 5.4, landing in 3rd place ahead of France (5.3), while in e-government the reverse applies. Spain and Italy once again make up the tail end in these areas: Spain rating ahead of Italy in e-learning but just behind Italy in e-government.

Table 7:		Comparison by country: current development status with regard to the deployment of e-learning and e-government (European experts)

On the whole, experts from the European countries consulted are unanimous about the significance of broadband Internet. By 2015 the technology and market will make strong gains and be taken for granted in Europe. While the views of German and European experts differ in some aspects, the core message is still quite clear: in the year 2015, a high-performance broadband infrastructure will be a defining factor in the globally competitive marketplace.

As these comparisons of European countries illustrate, Germany currently has a great deal of ground to make up, which it will need to do as soon as possible. For it is clear that, if appropriate action is taken, the country has not yet squandered its opportunity to achieve a leading position in Europe.