• by February 7, 2001

The number of Internet users surpassed 400 million in 2000 and will continue to grow strongly in the next five years, according to a new report from eTForecasts.

According to eTForecasts, most of the growth is coming from Asia, Latin America and parts of Europe. By year-end 2005 the number of worldwide Internet users will nearly triple to 1.17 billion.

An increasing portion of Internet users will be using wireless devices such as web-enabled cell phones and PDAs, which will be supplemental to PC Internet access for most users in developed countries, to go online. The report says that in countries with low Internet penetration most wireless Internet devices will be the primary Internet access device.

The wireless Internet is currently perceived as a disappointment due to earlier inflated expectations. However, it has proved its strength in Japan and similar success is expected in other regions, but on a slower schedule. By year-end 2005, US Wirless Internet users are expected to reach 83 million out of 730 million worldwide and Us Internet users will reach 214 million out of 1.17 billion.

"The wireless Internet will take off rapidly once always-on service and useful content for the small displays of wireless devices are available," says Dr. Egil Juliussen, the author of the reports. "The rapid growth will be due to millions of "dormant" or web-enabled cell phones that are only used for voice services. As the wireless Internet user experience improves, an increasing portion of the dormant web-enabled phones will become active wireless Internet devices."