Sweden

There were 8,085,500 internet users in Sweden (representing 89.2% of the population) in December 2009, according to Internet World Stats. This was up by 99.7% compared to 2000. (Internet World Stats, April 2010)

Digital Britain may be celebrating the push for every home to have 2Mbps broadband by 2012 but the Swedish government has promised much more to its citizens.  The Swedish government has announced a roll out 100Mbps broadband to 90% of its population by 2020, with 40% having it by 2015. 

A strategy statement posted on the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications website said that it is important that Swedish businesses and households in all parts of the country are able to benefit from the opportunities that access to powerful broadband gives in order to change traditional working methods, enable development of new services and business models and new patterns of behaviour.

The statement also added that all households and businesses should also have good opportunities to use electronic public services with broadband access. As more and more services in society become digital, everyone must be given the opportunity to be connected. Everyday life should run smoothly. It is, in essence, a matter of democracy and rights.  

However, it seems the country is facing similar problems to the UK with reaching out to rural areas. (ITPRO, November 2009)