Key findings

This "Deutschland Online 4" study examines the current development state and future tendencies of the German broadband market. To evaluate this market status within the scope of globalization, the study also explores current aspects of the information society and broadband Internet in the triad, consisting of Europe, the United States and Asia. A proven, composite-method approach involving both experts and consumers was selected for this survey.

A total of 115 experts and 6,347 consumers participated in this survey. The experts were selected from enterprises with a high affinity for broadband (broadband access, Social Web). For the questions involving education and work, experts from public institutions were chosen. And for the international part of the survey, experts were selected from various triad markets.

The findings of "Deutschland Online 4" emphasize the key role of broadband Internet as a decisive competitive factor and the resulting prospects that low from this role:

• Over the coming years high performance broadband infrastructure represents one of the crucial preconditions for the global competitiveness of German industry.
• The number of broadband connections will continue to grow to 21 million in 2010 and more than 27 million in 2015: almost 70% of all German households will have a broadband connection.% of all German households.
• The most important uses on the Internet will be spread fairly equally between broadband communications, e-commerce and broadband information services.
• Convergence of industrial sectors will mean a significant increase in the level of competition, especially between network providers.
• Integrated media formats will grow out of the process of convergence - these will open up new opportunities in online advertising, allowing increased user involvement.
• The convergence process will have the strongest impact on telecommunications providers.
• Internet companies have the best competitive position in the sector convergence process.
• The diffusion of VDSL depends critically on Triple Play products, broadband communications solutions and a comprehensive set of customer services.
• In Germany people associate substantial advantages with Internet TV; they also have high expectations for the medium and a high willingness to use it.
• A major increase in the number of Internet TV users to more than seven million is expected by 2015.
• Consumers' biggest interest in Internet TV lies in access to local information, education and sports.
• The Internet will develop into a medium which is characterized to a high degree by user interaction. Social life will increasingly be supplemented and enriched by online Social Web applications.
• The main applications on the Social Web are C2C commerce, online communities and file exchanging between users.
• The Social Web is becoming an increasingly important part of marketing and communication for enterprises.
• The social role of broadband Internet will continue to grow, particularly in the areas of work, education and health care.
• The health-care sector will benefit from e-health applications, particularly in the area of savings and patient care.
• Data tolls will generate strong stimuli for broadband access providers to invest more in the broadband infrastructure.
• High-performance broadband infrastructure will become an essential factor in international competition.
• The information society is currently most highly evolved in the United States, followed - at a great distance - by Asia and Europe.
• Four Asian countries are among the world's top five in terms of their innovativeness in the sphere of broadband Internet. Europe lags far behind.