2.2.3.1.1 Internet use

An analysis of the use of the Internet across Europe indicates substantial differences between Central European, Eastern European, Western European, and Mediterranean countries, with the West leading the way. Obviously, this divide played an important role in the creation of an At-Large Membership within Europe.

For example, as of January 2001, only a quarter of Russians had ever used a computer and only a small percentage of those had ever used the Internet. The size of the Russian At-Large membership (2,111), then, is more strongly tied to the extent of technological development and the proliferation of Internet usage than to the size of the country or its population (in Russia, 146,394,000 people).

However, the "digital divide" only partly explains variations in the distribution of European At-Large Members. Germany's lead in At-Large registrations, for instance, may also be an effect of Germany's role as a leading economic power in the region. Nevertheless, comparison of registrations in the UK, France, Austria, Switzerland and Germany indicate a clear over-representation of German-speaking people. In European countries such as Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, where the rate of households using the Internet has reached 50 percent , the incidence of At-Large registration was significantly lower than in both Germany and France. For these countries, it seems that not only Internet usage rates but also public awareness of ICANN itself can affect the size of the At-Large Membership.

The European Commission's latest survey of Internet use showed a 55% growth in Internet penetration in EU households, which rose from 18% in March 2000 to 28% in October 2000 , at the time of the At-Large Election. As Internet penetration continues to grow, participation in ICANN At-Large Membership is likely to increase.

2.2.3.1 Participation and contextual variables

2.2.3.1.2 Electoral systems and traditions