16 October 2007
Some European Union countries are falling behind in the broadband revolution, it has been claimed.
The comments come with the publication of a European Commission report showing that there is a long way to go to improve broadband access in some of the union's poorer states.
Just 5.7% of Bulgarians and 6.6% of Romanians are currently hooked up to broadband.
By contrast, Denmark and the Netherlands show high network penetration, scoring 37.2% and 33.1% respectively.
Most worryingly, the commission says that the gap between the richer west and the poorer east has actually increased slightly.
Telecoms Commissioner for the EU Viviane Reding said: "It is unacceptable that the gap between the strongest and weakest performers in Europe is growing. Europe must act now to get its broadband house in order."
According to the report, there are now around 90 million broadband lines installed in the EU, as of July 2007.
This represents growth of 28.7% in one year - with average broadband penetration growing by 3.3% to stand at 18.2%.
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