Downloads Reach Record Levels in Germany
February 16th, 2010
Germans spent around €250 million (£224 million) on downloads this year, according to the Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media, BITKOM. This represents an 18 percent increase from 2008.
Downloading music, games, videos, audio books or software has never been so popular. The number of legal downloads has been expected to have continued rising to around 60 million by the end of 2009 – an increase of 24 percent in comparison to 2008.
The vice-president of BITKOM, Achim Berg, is convinced the growth will also remain strong for 2010. He sees it as a result of both the wide range of choices on offer and decreasing prices. Between January and September 2009, the average dowload cost €4.10 (£3.67). Last year, the average cost of a download during this time was €4.34 (£3.91).
Faster internet access and the increase in the number of households with internet connections have also contributed to this boom.
