Broadband Internet in the triad

The Internet is a global phenomenon. The greater the extent to which broadband Internet promotes global integration, the more this statement will become a description of reality as opposed to being merely a vision. The "global players" right now are primarily the United States, Asia and Europe - the nations making up the so-called "triad". These nations are the prime movers in broadband development.

For this reason, "Deutschland Online 4" also consulted international experts from triad nations on current and future broadband Internet trends. This international perspective helps us to recognize the current status of Germany and Europe on the path to an information society and which key global trends need to be kept in mind. This global comparison can be viewed as a kind of "reality check" on the current level of broadband development in Germany.

• 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.
• In 2010 Asia will be the leader in the triad in terms of its status as an information society.
• The United States has the most innovative enterprises in the area of Internet search engines and e-commerce. The U.S. and Asia both have the most innovative providers of Internet access, content and communication services.
• Europe exhibits much room for improvement in all areas.