The information society

Key figures:

88 per cent of households had access to a PC and
86 per cent had access to the Internet in 2009

1 633 000 broadband subscriptions in Q2 2009

The information sector had 116 798 employees by the end of 2007. This constitutes 4.7 per cent of total employment.

ICT goods with a total value of NOK 18 billion were exported in 2008

Explanation of terms

Information sector = The ICT (Information and communication technology) sector + the content sector
ICT sector = industries that produce goods and services for the information society (ICT industry, ICT wholesale and retail trade, ICT consultancy services, and telecommunication)
Content sector = industries that produce content such as text, sound and images for the information society (publishers, information service providers, radio and television, film and video)

Information society

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a central part in the development of the economy. The term "information society" reflects how ICT has contributed to great changes in society. Although this development does not represent a new era, ICT affects the content and form of goods and services at an increasingly higher pace. In addition, ICT affects the organisation of business and industry as well as communication and social contact between people. ICT has a social, political and cultural effect on our everyday lives.

Digital divide

The term "digital divide" refers to the different competitive strengths of establishments and nations, the different quality of training and educational establishments, individual, local, national and global divides linked to access to and use of ICT. The "digital divide" is often interpreted as new forms of social, economic or regional differences.

Focus on

The information society

In the early 1990s, use of the Internet by the public became common. Today, surfing the net and e-mailing are part of our everyday lives. Information and communication technology (ICT) evolves quickly and is now used by enterprises, the public sector and households. The information society in Norway is characterised by the following:

An increasing number of services are being offered via the Internet. Only 11 per cent of the population did not use the Internet during the last 3 months. Especially older women are left outside the digital world.

73 per cent of households have broadband, and this is most common in households with high incomes.

The share of households in Norway with access to a PC and the Internet is about the same as in the other Nordic countries, but Norwegian enterprises use ICT to a lesser extent than enterprises in the neighbouring countries.