48 pc of Romanians access the internet, the EU average is 75 pc

The use of internet by Romanian consumers has reached currently a share of 48%, below the EU average which stands at 75%, the official figures presented on Monday during a conference held at the European Commission Office in Bucharest show.
17% of internet users in Romania use this means for purchasing a product (the EU average is 63%), while the segment of online cross-border shopping is of only 2% of the total users, as compared to 18% in the EU.
When it comes to confidence and security, most internet users in Romania (36%) are worried about data security when it comes to online payment, while 22% looks uncertain they will not receive the ordered products.
At the enterprise level, statistics show that in Romania only 7.3% of SMEs sell products/services online, as compared to the EU average of 15%. Also, the cross-border percentages fall to 3.4% and 6.5% respectively.
In terms of Internet connectivity, European data reveal that in Romania, 54% of households use broadband fixed service and 43% are connected to mobile broadband services. On the other hand, 25% of households in rural areas in Romania have coverage of broadband networks, compared to an EU average of 18%.
Only 39% of Romanians have never used the internet (the EU average is 18%) and only 20% know how to send emails, how to use the editing tools or how to install new devices, compared to the European average of 59%.