[council] 1b Internet Users

[Ross Rader]

Some great data to keep in mind during the next few months as we 
consider the new gTLD and IDN issues.

"Some time in 2005, we quietly passed a dramatic milestone in Internet 
history: the one-billionth user went online. Because we have no central 
register of Internet users, we don't know who that user was, or when he 
or she first logged on. Statistically, we're likely talking about a 
24-year-old woman in Shanghai.

According to Morgan Stanley estimates, 36% of Internet users are now in 
Asia and 24% are in Europe. Only 23% of users are in North America, 
where it all started in 1969 when two computers -- one in Los Angeles, 
the other in Palo Alto -- were networked together.

It took 36 years for the Internet to get its first billion users. The 
second billion will probably be added by 2015; most of these new users 
will be in Asia. The third billion will be harder, and might not be 
reached until 2040. "

More here: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/internet_growth.html

-ross