 The
land of fire and ice is one of the most technologically advanced countries
in the world. Iceland is considered a 'captive audience' for technology
innivation and a leader in mobile and Internet Communications. Two out
of three homes in Iceland have Internet access and the country also has
the highest penetration of mobile phone users. Seventy-three percent of
the 270,000 people in Iceland own a mobile phone. Industry forecasts suggest
that 100 percent penetration will be reached by mid 2002.
Three years ago, Icelend's telecommunications
market was liberalized, with the state-owned post and telecoms company
split up and competition introduced, initially in the mobile phone market.
In contrast to many European countries, Iceland is receptive to all companies
wanting licenses or liecense-based agreements. The country already has
17 telephone operators; one per 17,500 people. As a result, Iceland has
an advanced telecommunications infastructure, in addition to a highly skilled
labor force and a rapidly growing software industry. All of which place
Iceland in the front running as a strong international IT contender.
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