In 2020

COVID-19 pandemic generated an increase in internet usage

According to the results of the Survey on the Usage of Information and Communication Technologies in Households for 2020, 88.0% of the private households in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, with at least one member aged between 16 and 74, had access to the Internet at home (86.0% through broadband), an increase of 1.9 percentage points (p.p.) compared to 2019.

The proportion of persons in that age group that used the internet in the 12 months prior to the interview stood at 82.0%, up by 4.6 p.p. over 2019 (77.4%). Regarding the internet usage in the 3 months prior to the interview, 80.0% of the persons in that age group mentioned that fact, a 3.4 p.p. increase over 2019 (76.6%).

This growth is related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a more intensive use of the internet.  The survey, carried out between April and August, coincided with the pandemic.

The use of Internet to make purchases or orders (electronic commerce) was carried out by 37.7% of those persons in the 12 months prior to the interview and 28.6% did so in the 3 months before to the interview. In both indicators, the regional value stands below the country’s average, which stood at 44.5% and 35.2%, respectively.

Of the employed internet users, 27.7% worked at home, 25.5% worked at home due to COVID-19 and 24.4% teleworked using Information and Communication (ICT), namely computer and/or smartphone. This percentage was smaller compared to Portugal (31.1%).

The most used ICTs in teleworking were e-mail (98.7% of employees in teleworking), videoconferencing (79.1%), shared folders in internet storage space (cloud computing) (61.5%) and connection via virtual private network (VPN) (54,9%). The remote connection to the computer at the company was used by 42.7% of the employees in teleworking and 30.7% reported using web or extranet applications.

Among the people who used the internet in the 3 months prior to the interview, 65.5% indicate using some type of equipment or system whose operation is connected to the internet (Internet of Things - IoT). This percentage was 5 p.p. smaller compared to the national average.

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