Net surfers in Spain and Italy are less likely to use the Net because the weather is warm and sunny, according to the latest research from Forrester research.

It believes Southern Europe lags behind Northern Europe for two primary reasons: deeply rooted cultural traditions and the region's favourable climate.

"The main North-South cultural divide between the 'Catholic South' and 'Protestant North' applies most strongly to middle-aged consumers," he said.

"Older consumers in the Southern European markets find it more difficult to become familiar with new technologies," explained Reeve.

He said that demographics alone do not explain why Southern Europe trails behind the rest of Europe in terms of technology usage. ®