The first internet service provider (ISP) in the Netherlands (XS4ALL) started to provide internet access to private persons in 1993. A few years later, in 1996, less than 5% of the Dutch households had internet access. Now, 10 years later, this figure has risen to nearly 80%, which implies that about 11,000,000 Dutch inhabitants now have access to the internet (CBS, 2005). Worldwide, the internet penetration is about 16%, which corresponds with about 1,000,000,000 internet users. The Netherlands, therefore, is one of the countries with the highest internet penetrations, together with countries like the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the Scandinavian countries (http://www.internetworldstats.com). Also, with regard to the dissemination of broadband access, the Netherlands is among the top 5 countries in the world with about 70% of the households having internet access using an ADSL or cable modem (CBS, 2005).

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Garretsen, Prof. Dr. H.F.L. (promotor), Stichting Volksbond Rotterdam
H.F.L. Garretsen (Henk)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
hdl.handle.net/1765/10511
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Meerkerk, G.-J. (2007, September 20). Pwned by the Internet: Explorative research into the causes and consequences of compulsive internet use. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/10511