Internet access (EU market)

2024: EU creates satellite internet Project Bromo to compete with Starlink

On December 3, 2024, it became known that European companies Airbus, Thales and Leonardo intend to deploy a new satellite constellation that can compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink. The initiative was called Project Bromo - in honor of the active volcano in Indonesia. Read more here.

2020: Europe records unprecedented growth in Internet traffic

In Western Europe, in less than a month, Internet traffic has grown unprecedentedly, according to an analysis conducted by Nokia in March 2020. According to the company, in most Western European networks it grew by 30-45% compared to 2019.

On the Nokia website on March 27, 2020, an article by the technology director was published Nokia Deepfield Craig Labowitz containing an analysis of the data of several Western European networks for the week starting March 9, 2020, which indicate the consequences COVID-19 for them.^[1]

According to Nokia, in most Western European networks, Internet traffic increased by 30-45% compared to 2019. (photo - cloud7.news)

We reviewed all traffic volumes and patterns. And although the new reality is just beginning to exert its influence, a number of network anomalies and trends have already become apparent, "notes Craig Labovitz.

These include the following facts:

• peak traffic growth of 20-40% in affected areas in the last four weeks and especially in the last few days;

Networks cope with this volume, but operators expected to reach this volume within a year, but not in a few days, says Craig Labovitz.

In content delivery networks (CDN), peripheral segments and peer-to-peer channels, he said, have enough reserves. The most stressed are the level of aggregation and service routers edge routers, where demand is approaching the threshold level.

• changing daily and weekly traffic patterns;

It is believed that the maximum bandwidth of networks during working hours should cope with the volume of online streaming traffic at 21.00 on Sunday, but even on weekdays, the peak volumes of streaming traffic have become much higher, "notes Craig Labovitz.

• increased use of latency-sensitive apps such as Zoom and Skype, as well as gaming apps.

Summarizing, the author of the article notes that with the growth of traffic on wired and wireless networks, the main load falls on the first.

Operators need to ensure that their Internet infrastructure withstands the new load. Carrier networks should receive the necessary resources and capabilities to support all services with high performance in the face of increased demand, says Craig Labovitz.

In addition, in his opinion, operators should receive accurate and detailed information about their networks in real time.

They need means that can analyze, correlate and visualize data at a speed inaccessible to the human brain, Craig Labovitz is sure.

Such means, in his opinion, are intelligent network systems and analytical technologies of the new generation. According to him, they allow in real time to receive very detailed and accurate - up to the application level - multidimensional data on networks, services, network flows and methods of using network services.

Monitoring the global and local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nokia's global networks will continue, Craig Labovitz assures finally.

In mid-March 2020, the EU at the level of the authorities recognized the problem of excessive load on the Internet infrastructure. The European Commission called on streaming services to take measures to reduce the growing demand for bandwidth under quarantine due to the coronavirus. This was reported by Euractiv.^[2]

2018

Internet penetration compared to other countries

2018

Mobile Internet speed

2016: The cost of broadband access in Russia is several times lower than in Europe and the USA

The estimated cost of broadband and mobile Internet access in Russia is one of the lowest in comparison with Europe, the United States and many developed countries. RIA Novosti came to this conclusion by comparing broadband access tariffs with speeds of about 10 Mbps and the cost of 1 GB of mobile traffic in different countries^[3].

In Russia, the estimated cost of broadband access is 350 rubles per month. You will have to pay 120 rubles for a gigabyte of downloaded data on a mobile phone. Such prices are comparable only to Ukrainian prices, where the same gigabyte will cost 61 rubles. The publication calls the collapse of the ruble and hryvnia exchange rates the reason for such low prices. In most other countries, tariffs are several times higher.

In Europe, prices vary by country. Among the expensive countries are Belgium, Switzerland. More affordable communication in Poland, Sweden, Finland. Germany can also be classified as expensive, here you will have to pay monthly for the Internet from 20 euros - about 1380 rubles. A gigabyte of mobile data will cost 11-12 euros or 820 rubles. At the same time, outside cities, there are problems with coverage with 3G and 4G networks, and the speed in the broadband access network can be replaced by less than announced.

Read more: Internet access (global market)

2013: EU abandons broadband internet ambitions

In mid-February 2013, it became known about the reduction of the EU program for the development of broadband Internet access in the region. Initially, the program was aimed at supporting the construction of such networks, especially in difficult to access rural areas.

Earlier, the union government believed that the widespread availability of high-speed Internet access is one of the key factors for business development and, as a result, the economy.

As a result, the volume of the program decreased from 8.2 billion euros to only 1 billion euros - 8 times. The European Parliament may also accept a halving of investment in the construction of the relevant infrastructure - from 50 billion euros to 24 billion euros.

The announced changes in the budget have already caused serious unrest among activists and members of the European Parliament, but the new budget will be finally approved during the March-April 2013 vote.

So, according to Brian Condon, director of the Community Broadband Network, such measures will be a "giant step back."

Earlier, the EU government, we recall, announced ambitious plans to provide 100-megabit access to half of the region's population by 2020, while the other half of EU residents should have been provided with Internet access at a speed of 30 Mbps. Separately, 9.2 billion euros were to be allocated for the development of Internet access in rural areas.

Vice President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes also criticized budget cuts, saying that the amount of 1 billion euros will simply not be enough for the development of broadband networks. "I will continue to fight," she declared.

Internet audience in Europe

According to comScore, in September 2011, Russia overtook Germany in terms of the number of Internet users and became the largest market in Europe in terms of the size of the Network's audience.

European Internet Audience Overview by Country, September 2011, Total Number of Internet Users in Europe, Over 15

Source:^[4]

Notes