South Korea Dominates Asia Pacific Net activity

South Korea dominates Asia Pacific Internet activity: Global Index

US now accounts for less than half of worldwide Internet universe for first time

Auckland: March 14, 2001 – South Korean home surfers are the most active in the Asia Pacific region, according to the latest global data from Nielsen//NetRatings.

The Nielsen//NetRatings Global Internet Index for January shows surfers in South Korea are by far the most active in the region in terms of number of web sessions per month, time spent online, number of sites visited and total page views accessed. Not surprisingly, South Korea is the fourth largest single Internet market in the world.

The Index shows surfers in South Korea spend an average 21 sessions online per month, well in excess of Japan and Hong Kong (16 sessions each), New Zealand (14), Australian and Taiwan (12 each) and Singapore (11) – see Table 1.

Total number of pages visited each month by home surfers in South Korea is also high at 2008 pages – more than double the next closest market which is Hong Kong at
877 pages. Surfers in South Korea also spend at least twice as much time online than any other country in the region at 16 hours 17 minutes per person per month.

New Zealand surfers by comparison were highest in the Asia Pacific region for the duration of time spent viewing each page at 56 seconds. New Zealanders were also third in the region behind the United States and Canada, but ahead of South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia for the most active rate of Internet usage which is quite a feat considering its total Internet universe is one of the smallest in the region – see Table 1.

Nielsen//NetRatings now measures the Internet activity of 47.9 million home surfers in seven countries in Asia Pacific, with South Korea accounting for almost half this number at 22.3 million surfers. This represents the fourth largest single Internet market in the world behind the US, Japan and Germany.

Commenting on the strength of the South Korean market, ACNielsen eRatings.com Pacific Manager Director Brian Milnes said: “With a high penetration of broadband Internet access and a sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure, South Korea has emerged as a dominant Internet market in Asia Pacific.

“South Korea has been a technology centre for decades as one of the leading global semiconductor markets fuelled by such companies as Hyundai and Samsung. Many factors come into play here, including the availability of content, the maturity of the surfing population and the telephone line charging structures.

“For example, nearly four million people in South Korea have broadband Internet access. Since nearly 40% of the housing in South Korea is apartments, broadband has been relatively easy and cost effective to install. Furthermore, the average monthly
broadband subscription is NZ$40 with unlimited access time, and the average ISP connection through a telephone line is only NZ$12 per month with unlimited access time. All these factors are highly conducive to heavy Internet use.”

The Index reveals that for the first time surfers outside the United States now account for more than half of the world’s Internet population. The US web market now represents just 43% of the global web community.

“This is a clear indication that the Internet must soon shift from a largely American medium to a truly global, multi-lingual medium to accommodate this significant global audience,” said Brian Milnes.

The Index also show Hong Kong has the highest percentage of households with Internet access from home at 49.5%, ahead of Singapore at 48.4%, South Korea at 45.5%, Taiwan at 42.9% and New Zealand at 39.9% (see Table 2).

Table 1. Time Spent Online: Asia Pacific Region, At-Home, January 2000
Ranked in order of time spent online, active rate, duration of page viewed per month

Rank
Country Time Spent Per Month Page views per month per person Average number of sessions per month per person Active Rate % Duration of Page Viewed - seconds
1 South Korea 16:17:16 2008 21 50% 00.29
2 Hong Kong 9:46:20 877 16 44% 00.40
3 Japan 7:56:48 779 16 41% 00.37
4 Australia 7:07:38 466 12 52% 00.55
5 Taiwan 6:57:60 737 12 38% 00.34
6 New Zealand 6:28:05 423 14 55% 00.56
7 Singapore 6:05:17 569 11 39% 00.39
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
Table 2. Percentage of households with Internet access via a home PC:
Asia Pacific Region, January 2000

Rank
Country % of households with Internet access
1 Hong Kong 49.5%
2 Singapore 48.4%
3 South Korea 45.5%
4 Taiwan 42.9%
5 Australia 40.0%
6 New Zealand 39.9%
7 Japan 24.1%
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings

ENDS

About Nielsen//NetRatings
Through strategic partnerships between NetRatings, Nielsen Media Research and ACNielsen, the Nielsen//NetRatings audience measurement service collects real-time data from more than 220,000 individuals with access to the Internet around the world. The U.S. panel sample currently consists of 62,000 individuals with Internet access at home and 8,000 individuals with Internet access at work. International panels are under development with over 150,000 individuals with access at home currently being measured in 21 countries, representing over 88% of global Internet browser activity. These panels collectively represent the largest research sample of Internet users in the industry.

Nielsen//NetRatings uses unique technology capable of measuring both Internet use and advertising to provide the most timely, accurate and comprehensive Internet usage data and advertising information in the global marketplace. Nielsen//NetRatings tracks the entire spectrum of Internet user behavior, leveraging proprietary data-collection technology from NetRatings, Nielsen Media Research's 50 years of expertise in research and audience measurement, and ACNielsen’s international leadership in offering market research information covering more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.nielsen-netratings.com.

About ACNielsen eRatings.com
ACNielsen eRatings.com is a venture between ACNielsen and NetRatings Inc. ACNielsen, a company of VNU N.V., is the world’s leading market research firm, offering measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics, consumer attitudes and behavior, and new and traditional media in more than 100 countries. ACNielsen’s clients include leading consumer product manufacturers and retailers, service firms, media and entertainment companies and the Internet community. NetRatings is the leading provider of Internet audience measurement technology and analysis. Through the Nielsen//NetRatings service, ACNielsen eRatings.com is creating the first global service for tracking audiences, advertising and user activity on the Internet in more than 30 countries worldwide.

About NetRatings, Inc.
NetRatings (Nasdaq: NTRT) provides Internet audience measurement and analysis services that enable its customers to make informed decisions regarding their Internet strategies. NetRatings delivers accurate and timely information collected from a representative sample of Internet users and augments it with detailed, flexible reporting and in-depth analyses.

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