Internet Users to Exceed 2 Billion by the End of 2010

One of three people on earth now accesses the internet, and the bulk of new users are based in developing nations, reports the International Telecommunications Union in a BBC report. The developing world, with 20 percent users online, still has far to go in catching up with developed nations, where 70 percent are online. In some parts of Africa, the price of connecting far exceeds monthly wages. Internet and broadband capability drive jobs, growth and productivity, with full potential yet unknown, notes ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure. More people in the developing world can access detailed information, market products on the web and work at a distance. In March 2006 Foreign Affairs, economist Alan Blinder labeled off-shoring and other technology trends as a “new industrial revolution.” The globe is witness to the beginnings of an information revolution, with consequences that could match those of the 19th century industrial revolution. – YaleGlobal