Internet Use Increases in Eastern Germany

Residents of eastern Germany are beginning to catch up with those in the western part of the country when it comes to computer ownership and Internet connections, according to a recent report by the Institute of Empirical Research (LEIF). The study revealed that 56 percent of East Germans now own a computer and 45 percent have access to the net. Five years ago only 9 per cent had internet access. In the survey of over 1,200 Germans of 16 years and over in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania, Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony, those with Internet access spend seven hours per week online, about 30 minutes more than in 2002.