Danes love Internet - true

Europe in Brief It's official: the Danes love the Internet. Nearly 80 per cent of the population has Internet access, according to a new survey by the Danish Ministry of Science and Technology. Most of the users are young, but the eldery are joining now too, daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende reports. In fact, half of Danes over 60 now have access to the Net.

Almost half of all the Danish Internet population are using the Web for banking and tax purposes. More than 130,000 people have applied for a digital signature and public service via the Web doubled between 2001 and 2003.

Hungary: Tele2 may enter the market

Swedish Tele2 AB, which labels itself as Europe’s leading alternative telecoms provider, may enter the Hungarian market, Budapest Business Journal reports.

Hungary’s alternative telecom operators are looking forward to lower interconnection fees in the fixed-line market from 1 May. Current interconnection fees are around three times the EU average. Tele2, which has over 22m customers in 23 countries across Europe, is mainly interested in residential fixed-line services, although it is offering mobile services as well in some countries.

Russia: Motorola expanding business in St. Petersburg

Motorola is to expand its business in St. Petersburg and is aiming for 200 extra jobs, The St. Petersburg Times reports. The telecom giant has been active in the city since 1994 when it opened a research lab there. In 1997, it formally opened a software development centre which today provides some 300 jobs to local specialists.

The operation focuses on writing code for mobile phones, automotive electronics, cellular infrastructure and advanced technologies. Motorola has also spent $400,000 supporting three technical universities over the last three years and is a sponsor of the Vaganova Ballet School. ®

Germany: leading in car navigation

Over 680,000 Germans last year bought a car navigation system, according to the Gesellschaft für Unterhaltungs- und Kommunikationselektronik. With a 39 per cent market penetration, Germany tops the European satnav league.

Only a small portion of the systems are sold with the car. Most car users install a navigation system after the purchase of a car. Prices are dropping, too. These days a car navigation system will cost you €1500. A couple of years ago a similar system would have cost at least €4000.

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