As this report was being researched and drafted, economists at the National
 

 
Bureau of Economic Research declared that the U.S. economy was in a recession
 

 
that started in March 2001. Germany’s Federal Statistics Office also revealed
 

 
that the German economy contracted in the third quarter of 2001, raising fears
 

 
of a recession throughout the Eurozone. Will this economic downturn affect global
 

 
internet use? We are confident that over the next four years worldwide adoption
 

 
of the internet will continue apace. In the United States, the rate at which
 

 
new individuals obtain internet access is growing, though at a slower rate,
 

 
as adoption of the technology approaches saturation.

- How many people will be using the internet in 2004?

 

 
- What are their preferred online activities?

 

 
- Which countries have the highest internet penetration rates?

 

 
- How fast is internet use growing in France? In Japan?

 

 
- How many people subscribe to wireless services and what is the future of the
 

 
wireless internet?

 

 
- What are the major demographic trends that e-marketers must be aware of ?

The eMarketer Methodology: Making Sense of the Numbers

I Introduction

II Access Technologies

A. IT Spending

B. Telecommunications

C. Broadband

D. Hardware

E. Internet

F. Access Costs

III Users and Access

A. Comparative Estimates of Internet Users

B. Wireless Users

C. Usage

D. Demographics

Index of Charts