61 per cent of Jordanian households have computers

Around 61 per cent of Jordanian households have personal computers (PCs) or laptops, with 35 per cent of them connected to the Internet, a study showed Wednesday. The survey, conducted by the Department of Statistics and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, indicated that the number of households with computers in 2010 stood at 55 per cent. Covering a representative sample of 3,340 families from across the Kingdom, the study also revealed that 44 per cent of households in urban areas have PCs or laptops compared to 31 per cent in rural areas. More than half the Jordanian families who do not have computers said they do not need them, while 40 per cent said they cannot afford them, according to the study, titled “Use of IT tools in households in 2011”. About 89 per cent of those who have PCs or laptops at home said they use them for personal purposes, while 15.9 per cent said they use them for conducting work-related activities. In terms of Internet usage, the survey found that 64 per cent of individuals use the Internet at home every day and two-thirds of Internet users have e-mail accounts. The study also showed that the average monthly expenditure on mobile phones in households amounted to JD22, while it stood at JD17.7 for Internet access. "Owning a computer, whether a desktop or a laptop, is important… I use a computer at work, but I also have a laptop at home that I use for several hours every day," noted Ahmad Al Sheikh, an accountant. "I use the Internet both at home and at work. I am also connected to the web through my iPhone. Staying connected is important not only for my work but because it makes life easier and I can stay in touch with all my friends," he told The Jordan Times on Wednesday. Ziad Al Keswani, a father of three, agreed that having a computer is a necessity. "I do not know how to use computers, but my children do... they asked me several times to buy them one and I got them one recently," the Hai Nazzal resident said. "My eight-year old son and six-year old daughter enjoy playing games on the computer… I cannot afford to subscribe to the Internet currently, but maybe in the future I will," he said. According to official figures, Internet penetration reached 53 per cent by the end of March, while mobile penetration hit 123 per cent.