Internet in Italy
Encyclopedia
The Internet
country code
top-level domain
(ccTLD) for Italy
is .it
and is sponsored by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
. The .eu
domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.
Currently Internet access
is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, fiber to the home, mobile, wireless and satellite. However the lack of funding to improve and maintain the Italian phone network has made it incomplete and outdated, and many urban, hill and mountain areas in Italy aren't covered by broadband internet.
reaches 18.1% of the population, under the European average (22%) and 31% of Italian homes have Broadband Internet Access, under the European average (48%). 54,3% of Italian families have a computer
(but 60% of them haven't followed a computer course) and 47,3% have Internet access (43% in 2007, 42% in 2008), lower than the European average (60%). Computerization is also slow in Italy: only 15% of Italian people
use Internet for online banking
or e-Government services (European average: 28%), 17% read online newspaper
s (European average: 26%), 7% use electronic commerce
services (European average: 25%) and 7% search for a job (European average: 13%). Only 53% of Italian people can access the Internet (European average: 65%) and 50% of Italian people have never used a computer.
In 2009, 73% of Italian Internet users uses Instant Messaging
services, in particular 11.4 million of people (83%) use Windows Live Messenger
.
amended in 2005, after the terrorists attacks in Madrid and London
, by then-Minister of the Interior
Giuseppe Pisanu
, restricts the opening of new Wi-Fi Hotspot
s, subjecting interested entities to first apply for permission to open at the Police Headquarters
of jurisdiction and that Internet users should be subject to identification, by presenting an identity document
. This has inhibited the opening of hotspots across Italy, with a number of hotspots 5 times lower than France and the substantially absence of Municipal wireless networks. Considering the above-mentioned law at too shrink, a proposed law
should facilitate the opening and access of Wi-Fi Hotspots, although it is not clear how it should be possible. In 2009, only 32% of Italian Internet users have Wi-Fi access.
Currently internet filtering in Italy is applied on web-sites which display child pornography and on some P2P web-sites (including the most famous The Pirate Bay). A pervasive filtering is applied to those gambling websites who don't have a local license to operate in Italy.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
country code
Country code
Country codes are short alphabetic or numeric geographical codes developed to represent countries and dependent areas, for use in data processing and communications. Several different systems have been developed to do this. The best known of these is ISO 3166-1...
top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
(ccTLD) for Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
is .it
.it
.it is the Internet country code top-level domain for Italy.Because it is also the English word it, and many words end with -it, this can commonly used in the construction of domain hacks, such as play.it , write.it or swimsu.it.There are a number of reserved second-level domain names, for...
and is sponsored by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
The Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche or National Research Council, is an Italian public organization set up to support scientific and technological research. Its headquarters are in Rome.-History:The institution was founded in 1923...
. The .eu
.eu
.eu is the country code top-level domain for the European Union . Launched 7 December 2005, the domain is available for organisations in and residents of EU member states. The TLD is administered by EURid, a consortium consisting of the national ccTLD registry operators of Belgium, Sweden, Italy...
domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.
Currently Internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, fiber to the home, mobile, wireless and satellite. However the lack of funding to improve and maintain the Italian phone network has made it incomplete and outdated, and many urban, hill and mountain areas in Italy aren't covered by broadband internet.
Overview
In 2009, Broadband Internet accessBroadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
reaches 18.1% of the population, under the European average (22%) and 31% of Italian homes have Broadband Internet Access, under the European average (48%). 54,3% of Italian families have a computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
(but 60% of them haven't followed a computer course) and 47,3% have Internet access (43% in 2007, 42% in 2008), lower than the European average (60%). Computerization is also slow in Italy: only 15% of Italian people
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
use Internet for online banking
Online banking
Online banking allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society.-Features:...
or e-Government services (European average: 28%), 17% read online newspaper
Online newspaper
An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
s (European average: 26%), 7% use electronic commerce
Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
services (European average: 25%) and 7% search for a job (European average: 13%). Only 53% of Italian people can access the Internet (European average: 65%) and 50% of Italian people have never used a computer.
In 2009, 73% of Italian Internet users uses Instant Messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
services, in particular 11.4 million of people (83%) use Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Messenger is an instant messaging client created by Microsoft that is currently designed to work with Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Xbox 360, Blackberry OS, iOS, Java ME, S60 on Symbian OS 9.x and Zune HD...
.
Internet regulation
An anti-terrorism lawAnti-terrorism legislation
Anti-terrorism legislation designs various types of laws passed in the aim of fighting terrorism. They usually, if not always, follow specific bombings or assassinations...
amended in 2005, after the terrorists attacks in Madrid and London
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
, by then-Minister of the Interior
Italian Minister of the Interior
This is a list of Italian Ministers of the Interior since 1861.-Kingdom of Italy:-Italian Republic:...
Giuseppe Pisanu
Giuseppe Pisanu
Giuseppe Pisanu is an Italian politician, longtime member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Christian Democracy and then for Forza Italia...
, restricts the opening of new Wi-Fi Hotspot
Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
s, subjecting interested entities to first apply for permission to open at the Police Headquarters
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
of jurisdiction and that Internet users should be subject to identification, by presenting an identity document
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
. This has inhibited the opening of hotspots across Italy, with a number of hotspots 5 times lower than France and the substantially absence of Municipal wireless networks. Considering the above-mentioned law at too shrink, a proposed law
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
should facilitate the opening and access of Wi-Fi Hotspots, although it is not clear how it should be possible. In 2009, only 32% of Italian Internet users have Wi-Fi access.
Currently internet filtering in Italy is applied on web-sites which display child pornography and on some P2P web-sites (including the most famous The Pirate Bay). A pervasive filtering is applied to those gambling websites who don't have a local license to operate in Italy.
External links
- Italy profile, on OpenNet InitiativeOpenNet InitiativeThe OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run...
website. - «Non è un paese per Internet. In cinque anni dieci leggi contro la Rete» (in Italian), article from the newspaper Il Fatto QuotidianoIl Fatto Quotidianoil Fatto Quotidiano is an Italian daily newspaper owned by Editoriale Il Fatto SpA. It was founded on 23 September 2009 and has been edited by Antonio Padellaro since then.- History :...
. - Internet access and use in the EU27 in 2008, EurostatEurostatEurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
news release. - The Networked Readiness Index 2008–2009 rankings (from the The Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009), World Economic ForumWorld Economic ForumThe World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
.