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2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) STATISTICS

2.1 Household Use of IT
2.2 Business Use of IT
2.3 Government Use of IT
2.4 Farm Use of IT
2.5 Internet Activity
2.6 Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries
2.7 IT Regional Information

2.1 Household use of IT

Data from the quarterly Household Use of Information Technology surveys for 1999 have been consolidated to produce average annual estimates at State and Territory levels. Results were published in Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 1999 (Catalogue no. 8146.0), released in June 2000. Previous editions of this publication are available for 1998 and 1996.

The four surveys conducted during 2000 will be the last quarterly Household Use of Information Technology (HUIT) surveys conducted by the ABS. The Population Survey Monitor (PSM), through which the data are currently collected will be conducted for the last time for the November quarter 2000. The ABS is currently developing an annual collection vehicle to replace the PSM. For 2001, a subset of the HUIT module of questions has been incorporated into the Survey of Education and Training (now called the Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology - SETIT). A similar data release to the annual HUIT publication is expected to be released from SETIT in early 2002.

The latest data release from the quarterly surveys was for May 2000, released on 25 August 2000 in Catalogue 8147.0.

Key indicators from the May 2000 Household Use of Information Technology survey included:

• Over half (54%) of all Australian households (3.8 million households) had a home computer in May 2000, an increase of 18% over the May 1999 estimate of 3.2 million households.
  
• One third (33%) of all households (or 2.3 million households) had home Internet access compared with 22% in May 1999.

• In the 12 months to May 2000, an estimated 6.4 million adults (46% of Australia's adult population) accessed the Internet compared to 5.5 million adults in the 12 months to May 1999.
  
• 6% of Australian adults (802,000) used the Internet to purchase or order goods or services for their own private use in the 12 months to May 2000. This is an increase of 23% over the 650,000 adults who did likewise in the corresponding period to May 1999.
  
• Books/magazines, computer software and music were the three most common (36%, 18% and 18% respectively) types of goods or services purchased or ordered for private use in the 12 months to May 2000.
  
• In the three months to May 2000, 8% of adults used the Internet to access government services, 8% of adults used the Internet to pay bills or transfer funds, 51% used the telephone to pay bills or transfer funds, 67% used EFTPOS and 74% used an ATM.
  

• IT & T employment and expense items including contract/outsourcing payments,

• use of current and emerging technologies,

• electronic service delivery ie. services offered and how delivered,

• details on the content of web site or home page, and

• details of outsourcing arrangements.
  

• where the Internet was accessed,

• how often the Internet was accessed,

• cost of Internet use,

• Internet services accessed, and

• e-commerce information, ie. type of e-commerce, value of e-commerce and value of e-commerce paid for on-line.
  

• Subscriber details:
  number and type of subscriber,
  volume of data sent to subscribers,
  access plan type,
  total time spent on line, and
  amount paid;

• Service issues:
  number/type of account,
  web site information,
  technical support provided to clients, and
  ISP related services provided;

• Infrastructure:
  number of phone lines, and
  Point of presence details.
  

• The Australian IT&T industry's total income in 1998-99 was $59 billion, an increase of 21% over 1995-96. The industries contributing to this outcome were telecommunication services with an increase in income of 40% since 1995-96, computer services with a rise of 32%, wholesale trade with a rise of 12% and manufacturing with a fall of 33%.

• Revenue from the domestic production of IT&T goods and services in 1998-99 was $39 billion, 27% higher than in 1995-96. Telecommunication and computer services recorded increases of 40% and 31% respectively, however, production of manufactured IT&T goods decreased by 27% over the three year period.

• The decline in domestic production of manufactured IT&T goods was offset by a 21% increase in imports of these products.

• At 30 June 1999, Australia's IT&T sector consisted of 18,469 IT&T businesses, an increase of 36% since the last survey in 1995-96. There were 195,580 persons working in IT&T businesses, representing a 4% decrease since 1995-96.

• The April 2000 Household supplementary survey (referred to in section 2.1) should provide better regional data than is possible from the quarterly household use survey.
  
• The 2001 Population Census will include the following IT questions to be asked of all persons in the household:
  
  

  Did the person use a personal computer at home last week?	No
  	Yes
  Did the person use the Internet anywhere last week?	No
  Mark all applicable boxes	Yes, at home
  	Yes, at work
  	Yes, elsewhere

  
  These questions should provide very useful statistics on regional access to IT, cross classified against a large range of variables.

• Data down to the Statistical Division level, in respect of farm use of IT, is available from the Agricultural Commodity Survey.

• The 1999-2000 Business IT use survey has a larger sample size than previous surveys and will be able to provide some regional information in respect of businesses.

• As the new quarterly survey of Internet service providers will be a census, it is expected that some regional data in relation to 'points of presence' will be able to be produced.