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The cold truth of new media

By | February 11, 2013, 5:08 AM PST

There are more Internet-connected TVs than there are tablets, but that will change. Except, perhaps, in Holland, which will have 91 percent penetration of Net TVs in 2015.

Which country has the highest penetration of tablet computers, smartphones, and internet-connected TV combined: A) South Korea, B) Japan, C) United States, D) China, E) Germany, or F) none of the above?

That’s right, it’s “F”, at least according to a study by media services firm ZenithOptimedia, which says that Norway leads the pack with 38.8 percent and that Sweden stands out in particular in smartphone uptake with 73 percent in that category. Throw in Denmark, and those three Scandinavian countries rank in 2012’s top 5 for what London-based Zenith calls “new media technology.”  All five are in Western Europe, with France and Holland rounding out the leader board.

Is it something in the chilly Nordic climate, psyche or what?

In a press release Zenith doesn’t offer an explanation other than to say that the latest findings reflect Scandinavia’s “traditional consumer enthusiasm for Internet and digital media.” It says its full report delves into the ramifications for advertising through the three types of connected devices, which Zenith calls “new media technology.”

Norway was relatively strong both in smartphones and tablets, with 65 percent smartphone and 13 percent tablet penetration respectively, compared to an average for the top 19 countries of 35.5 percent and 4.7 percent.

Average penetration of IPTV devices - technology for connecting the Internet to television - was ahead of tablets at 6.6 percent in the 19 countries, but will only rise to 9 percent by 2015 while tablet penetration will hit 13 percent, Zenith forecasts.  Holland will stand out in penetration of Internet-connected TVs, with 91 percent by 2015.

By 2015, Scandinavia will remain strong overall, but Holland will take the top spot and France will remain number two, with Ireland surging to three.

The U.S. doesn’t even make the overall top 10 for 2012, although it is among the top 5 in tablet penetration, as it exceeded 15 percent penetration along with  four other countries - Australia, France, Ireland and Holland.

The list:

Chart from ZenithOptimedia. Image from Inview via Wikimedia.

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Mark Halper

About Mark Halper

Mark Halper is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Mark Halper

Mark Halper

Contributing Editor

Mark Halper has written for TIME, Fortune, Financial Times, the UK's Independent on Sunday, Forbes, New York Times, Wired, Variety and The Guardian. He is based in Bristol, U.K.

Follow him on Twitter.

Mark Halper

Mark Halper

Mark has no financial holdings in the companies he writes about. He occasionally travels at the expense of companies or their press relations agencies in order to report on a company or industry event related to it; Mark will prominently disclose this information when appropriate. This relationship will have no influence on his coverage. Companies he covers do not get to review columns in advance, or select or reject topics.

He writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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0 Votes
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Dutch TV?
So, what's coming to Dutch TV? I've reread this snippet several times and still can't see any reference to: "And you should see what's coming to Dutch TV". So? What is it?
Posted by bootle1947
11th Feb
+1 Vote
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The Netterlands
Internet. 91 percent Net-connected TV penetration by 2015 according to the study. I've added a line to the photo caption to bring that out more...
Posted by markhalper
Updated - 11th Feb
+1 Vote
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Things are easier and quicker to get adopted in small countries,
than in larger countries.

Those countries mentioned have populations the size of major U.S. cities, and it's a lot slower and harder to get anything done in the larger countries. Besides the smaller populations, those are also smaller geographically, and getting cable and wi-fi and cell-service installed in all of those homes, would not be as big a task as it would be in a country the size of the U.S.

Also, the report above is missing a huge part of the study, which probably wasn't conducted anyway. The study should include the hurdles that get in the way of the bigger countries, which might not be even a consideration for the smaller countries. As an example, how many regulations get in the way of implementing the "new media" connections in those small countries, as opposed to the massive number of regulations which have to be considered in regulation-loving U.S.?
Posted by adornoe
11th Feb
0 Votes
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My thoughts exactly... Just take for example
Texas:
268,581 sq mi
696,241 km2
26,059,203 Population (est 2012)
Sweden:
173,745 sq mi
449,964 km2
9,540,065 Population (2012)
Just one STATE in the USA is bigger than Sweden (yes, one of the bigger ones, given, and Texas isn't even the largest). But when you consider that scope. Even the population amount is nearly 3x that of Sweden.
Simply enough.. 5-million out of 10-million is 50% . 5-million out of ~25-million is only 20%. Or if you count the USA Population in 2012 of 315,487,000 ..(Call it 315-mil) Then 5-million out of that is only about 1.6% rounded up to nearest tenth spot. OF COURSE countries like Sweden, Switzerland, etc, etc, etc have the higher penetration. It would be nearly impossible NOT to.
Posted by jonrosen
Updated - 11th Feb
0 Votes
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Things are easier and quicker to get adopted in small countries,
and it's a lot slower and harder to get anything done in the larger countries

Look at the table. If what you say is true how do you explain Canada and Australia which have even bigger geographic problems to say nothing about the population spread out to a fraction of the density in the US. The population of California spread out over an area the size of the 48 states Plus Alaska??
Posted by csumbler
11th Feb
+1 Vote
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Look again, because, Canada is not as "large" as you think,
when it comes to where the population lives.

Do you really believe that, someone living 100-500 miles away from civilization, is going to get "connected", like what is mentioned in the report. Chances are that, the services offered, are applicable to population centers, like the bigger cities.
Posted by adornoe
12th Feb
+2 Votes
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Corporate Greed Inhibits USA Connectivity
The simple fact that in the USA we are forced to pay from three to ten times more per Mhz for new media connections than in the smaller countries (similarly for cable TV) has a lot to do with the lack of coverage. People simply can't afford it! See tinurl dot com /486gm57 to see how we're being robbed.
Also the total lack of Federal support and mandate for universal service is a major factor in putting the USA below most of Europe and even some so-called 3rd-world countries.
Posted by lodavesf
11th Feb
0 Votes
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The biggest problem in the US is the lack of competition.
This problem is 100% the fault of the US government failing to enforce laws that allow them to prevent mergers and buyouts that will consolidate an industry and lead to a lack of competition.

And your answer is for the government to get MORE involved.

No think you. They have messed it up enough.
Posted by Hates Idiots
11th Feb
+1 Vote
+ -
Federal and local government involvement, is the reason that, we're getting
towards 3rd world status. It's not the lack of government that has us begging for better service; it's the massive involvement and intrusion of government, that has us falling behind many other countries. Plus, like I mentioned ia my earlier post, what small countries are able to do, can't be compared to the challenges which the more massive countries have to contend with. As an example, the challenges of providing for a family of 4, is a lot less than that for a family of 10 or more.

Think logically. Also, government is not a solution, and more times than not, they are the problem.
Posted by adornoe
11th Feb
0 Votes
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Proof?
What is your proof that the government is "intruding"? Where has the intrusion caused an effect?

The irony for me is that government has become less intrusive (in regards to business) than it has been since Clinton, and the income inequalities surge, the poverty rises, and those able to actually purchase devices are less and less likely to arise.

All of the top countries have government involvement to the point of regulating competition and ensuring monopolies won't arise. This is how you get true competition...otherwise, as it is in the US, big bank will always take little bank...period...

Lastly, how have we become so gullible to believe that government involvement in overseas wars to "protect our freedoms" (lol) are somehow good, but government involvement in a peaceful way domestically does not protect our freedoms more?
Posted by GSystems
13th Feb
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