Internet access

The bar chart and table compare five countries in terms of the percentage of families with high-speed internet access, and the change over two consecutive years, from 2001 to 2002.

It is clear that the percentage of families with high-speed internet connection was highest in South Korea and the USA during those years. In addition, the biggest change in the number of families with high-speed internet access occurred in Britain.

In 2001, about 11.2% of South Korean households had access to high-speed internet, compared to 9.3% of US families. One year later, the number of US families with high-speed internet soared by 170% to reach 25.11% of the population, which was the highest figure of all measured countries for those years. By contrast, the growth rate was significantly lower in South Korea, at only 20%.

High-speed internet was not as common in Germany, Switzerland and Britain, with only roughly 0.35% of households having a high-speed connection. All three countries saw significant increases over the year, with Germany and Switzerland witnessing increases of 80% and 120% respectively. Meanwhile, Britain saw the biggest growth rate in high-speed internet connections with a 230% increase.

(191 words)

Vocabulary

• Consecutive (adj)
• Have access to something
• To soar (v)