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Video and online audiences

Proportion of households with computer, internet, mobile phone, games console and DVD player, 1996–2008

Since 1996, household access to various media and communications devices has risen significantly. Internet access rose from just 4 per cent to 67 per cent in 2008, while the proportion of households with computers and with games consoles more than doubled (from 36 to 75 per cent and 16 to 35 per cent respectively). Mobile phone penetration increased from 24 to 80 per cent in 2007. As of 2008, 87 per cent of Australian households had a DVD player, up from 6 per cent in 2000.

Graph: Proportion of households with computer, Internet, mobile phone, games console and DVD player. The following table provides the data.
  Proportion of Australian households with
Computer1 Internet1 Mobile phone Games console DVD player
1996 36% 4% 24% 16% n.a.
1997 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
1998 44% 16% 44% 23% n.a.
1999 47% 22% n.a. n.a. n.a.
2000 53% 32% 61% 32% 6%
2001 58% 42% n.a. n.a. 12%
2002 61% 46% 72% 32% 23%
2003 66% 53% n.a. n.a. 43%
2004 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 62%
2005 67% 56% n.a. 32% 78%
2006 70% 60% 79% 33% 83%
2007 73% 64% 80% n.a. n.a.
2008 75% 67% n.a. 35% 87%

Source: For all data from 1996 to 1998, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australian Social Trends (cat no. 4102.0); from 1998 to 2002, ABS, Household Use of Information Technology (cat. no. 8146.0). For computer and internet data since 2002, ABS, Household Use of Information Technology (cat. no. 8146.0). For mobile phone data from 2006 to 2007, Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA Communications Report 2006–07. For games console data from 2005 to 2008, FreeTV Australia, Year in Review. For DVD data from 2003 to 2004, OzTAM Year in Review 2003 and Ratings Snapshot 2004; from 2005 to 2008, FreeTV Australia, Year in Review.

Notes:
n.a. Not available.
1. From 2004 data has been collected for financial years but is listed here under calendar years (eg 2004/05 is listed as 2005).