Communiqué de presse

Digital market barometer: publication of the 2016 edition

Version française

Paris, 29 November 2016

Today, Arcep, the General economic council (CGE) and the Digital Agency (Agence du Numérique) are publishing the results of the annual survey on the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in France. The survey focuses on digital device ownership for people living in France, and how their use of digital technologies is evolving. It was conducted by the Research centre for the study and observation of living conditions (CREDOC) through face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of 2,213 people, ages 12 and up, along with a sample of 100 people living in sparsely populated parts of the country.

What percentage of people in France own a smartphone? Which is the most poular device for accessing the internet? How important is having internet access to feeling part of society?

The complete findings of the survey are available (in French) to download from the Arcep website
2016 was marked by a steady increase in ownership levels for mobile devices, touchscreen tablets and smartphones. Mobile internet use is also on the rise, thanks to the growing popularity of the different applications: e.g. watching videos on mobile phones, instant messaging apps and GPS services. Taken as a whole, people in France spend almost as much time online as they do watching television. The use of e-government services and online tax procedures has increased significantly, but there are still disparities in take-up levels along with lingering concerns. Online shopping is also gaining ground, even if doubts over the security of payment solutions continue to be the main obstacle to adoption. Particular focus was given this year to sparsely populated areas in France, and their access to digital technology.

Open data files for 10 years of information on digital device ownership and ICT usage in France

To coincide with the release of this edition, Arcep and its partners are making the complete Digital Market Barometer findings since 2007 available as open data files on the data.gouv.fr website: 10 whole years of data!