Internet contributes only $40m to GDP

Although the communications market is estimated by specialists to be worth more than $2bn, the Internet is but a very small part of it, according to the Romanian ISP Association chairman, Gheorghe Rusu. Rusu said the Internet Service Providers contribute only $40 million to Romania’s Gross Domestic Product. The communications market deregulation will, however, lead to a surge in the revenues of ISPs. “Revenues will probably double this year,” Rusu said. If he is right, then the revenues of the Internet Service Providers should come to total $80 million by yearend. The Internet’s contribution to the GDP might substantially increase in ten years from now, due to the convergence trend of the communications technologies. “Practically, every kind of communication will be using the Internet in ten years,” Rusu explains. At the same time, the communications market is progressing at a faster pace than the Gross Domestic Product, developing by at least 10% every year, Rusu feels. ZF