Internet usage across Eastern Europe is increasing at a huge rate, with e-commerce activity increasing by 95 per cent in Russia over the past six months, a new survey shows.
The number of people in Russia with access to the Internet increased by 65 percent and the number of home connections increased by 163 per cent.
Other east European countries also show a strong increase of the number of Internet users and of the number of online purchase.
A survey conducted over 2 months by MASMI Research, sampling 1,000 people in Russia, Hungary, Croatia and Yugoslavia found that the explosion in Internet usage is occurring at a similar rate to that experienced in western Europe towards the end of the last decade.
Mr Sergey Kolobanov, CEO, Masmi Research said: "Central European consumers are not only more likely to use the Internet, but are making a commitment to using it at home and at the office."
Ms Liesbeth Hop, President of the Web research consultancy, Pro Active International said: "The growth of the Internet is partly depending on the strength of the economy in a specific country and their available infrastructure. There is a clear difference between the leading countries such as Russia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries."
These countries are experiencing the same growth process that was taking place in the West a couple of years ago. The large increase of the e-commerce behaviour shows that the Internet users in Eastern Europe also become more and more skilled," she added.