Iceland Passes Korea in Broadband Usage

The Internet connects people, and maybe that explains why one of the world’s most remote countries, Iceland, has edged ahead of South Korea in broadband usage, according to a recent survey.

Iceland topped the global ranking of high-speed Internet connections compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with 26.7 percent of inhabitants subscribing to a broadband service. OECD members include 30 nations committed to democracy and a market-based economic system.

South Korea dropped to second place at 25.4 percent, followed closely by the Netherlands and Denmark.

The findings underscore growing European demand for high-speed Internet connectivity, with Finland, Norway, Sweden and Belgium also ranking among the OECD’s top 10 broadband markets. Broadband subscriptions in each country grew more than 6 percent in 2005. Though it ranks 11th in the survey, the United States has the largest number of broadband subscribers, 49 million, accounting for 31 percent of all broadband connections among OECD member countries.