-It's the first time in a Census we've ever asked anyone about computer use and Internet use," Carol Chan, assistant director, NSW office, ABS, told ZDNet Australia. -It will be really interesting to see in five years' time how things have changed," she added.
To garner an understanding of how tech-savvy Australians have become, the Census asked how many people used the Internet or a personal computer in the week proceeding the 2001 Census.
Forty-two percent of the population, or 7,881,983 people in total, said they had used a personal computer. Fourteen percent were aged 0-19 years; 18 percent fell into the 20-44 age bracket; 8.7 percent were aged between 45 and 64; and 1.2 percent were over the age of 65.
Of the nearly eight million people who use a computer at home, only 41 percent of the population, or 6,966,687 people, had used the Internet in the week proceeding the Census, indicating more room for growth in the domestic ISP sector.
5.4 percent, or 1,168,463 million people used the Net at work only, compared to 19 percent, or 3,505,235 million Australians who used the Internet at home only in the same timeframe. 3.8 percent of the population used the Internet elsewhere.
While 51 percent of computer users are male overall, there is an interesting correlation between gender age and propensity to log on. The proportion of women over 45 who said they used computers was measured at approximately 24 percent, compared to 32 percent of males in the same age group. In the 10 to 20 age group, the percentage of young female computer users was slightly higher than that of their male counterparts, whilst amongst 20 to 45-year-olds there was no differentiation between sexes, with 48.6 percent reporting Internet usage.
However, we will be left guessing as to what exactly these young girls are doing with computers. While 69 percent of children reported playing computer games, the activity was far more popular among boys than girls, with 79 percent of boys engaging in the activity, compared to 58 percent of girls.
According to Chan, this is the first time the ABS has got the bulk of the Census information out in 10 months, with more complex information to be released in November. In the past it has taken at least 12 months, she said, with information rolled out to the public progressively.
Chan put the speed of down, in part, to new technology in the data processing centres, including optical and digital reading of forms, the use of intelligent character recognition, and computer-assisted coding. According to Chan, of the information released today, a high degree of automatic coding could be used. -The material coming out later requires a substantial amount of human interaction," she said.
Chan also said that this year the ABS has disseminated more Census information via its www.abs.gov.au/census Web site than ever before. The bureau has been putting material online, right down to the statistical local area, free of charge since 10.30am today, including snapshots of each local government areas. In the past, Chan said, the ABS has put a small amount of information online and charged for local profiles.
Poor Analysis!!
" Of the nearly eight million people who use a computer at home, only 41 percent of the population, or 6,966,687 people, had used the Internet in the week proceeding the Census, indicating more room for growth in the domestic ISP sector."
In fact, 6,966,687 represents 88% of people who had used a computer in the previous week. That means on average that someone in nearly every Australian home used a computer and accessed the internet in the preceeding week.
If that were software market share, we'd be calling it a monopoly. The room for ISP growth is in broadband and cable, markets already tighly controlled by Telstra and Optus.
Small domestic ISPs need to get out of the market or significanlty change their prouducts to suit.