Statistics on the information society aims at describing the production (supply) of advanced information and communication technologies on the one hand and the extent, degree and use of these technologies and systems in individual sectors of society on the other hand.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) generally refer to technologies, systems, activities and processes that participate in imaging, processing, storing and transmitting information and data through an electronic means.



Notes on tables


Table 13-18. Basic infrastructure of information and communication technologies

Main telephone lines in public network – the total number of main fixed telephone lines and mobile telephone lines (mobile subscribers).

Main telephone lines (MTLs) in public fixed network – subscriber’s connection to the public switched telecommunication network ended by a terminal point of the network, designed for access to telephone service and having a clearly specified point of connection in telephone exchange equipment. We distinguish public fixed network MTLs (i) in households (residential), (ii) business sector and (iii) public payphones.

Residential main fixed telephone lines – telephone lines established for the needs of actual persons.

Business main fixed telephone lines – telephone lines established for legal persons, state administration authorities and other institutions, and for natural persons for business purposes.

Cable TV subscribers, total – all subscribers to cable television and radio on the files of operators of television and radio distribution (TVR) systems.

PCs with direct access to the Internet (Internet hosts) – A host computer is a computer with direct access to the global Internet network (it has its IP address). These computers are identified by two- or three-character codes of countries and the codes generally show the nature of organizations using computers with Internet access. Their number is allocated to countries according to country codes, but it does not necessarily imply that host computers are found in the countries concerned.

Internet subscribers – the total number of clients that use at least one service of the Internet (any Internet access, except for mobile networks, via individual Internet access providers. The client is a natural or legal person connected to a complex global computer network; the person uses Internet access services based on contracts signed with Internet service providers (ISP). Internet cafés, public information terminals, etc also belong among the Internet subscribers.

Internet subscribers with temporary (part-time) access – the total number of contractual clients on temporary (switched) circuits.

Temporary (part-time) access (also dial-up connection or dial-up line, etc) – only temporary connection to the Internet usually made by telephone lines, be that analogue line, digital line or mobile telephone network. It includes dial-up, ISDN and mobile connection via GSM networks).

Dial-up (dialled up line) – access to the Internet via an analogue (traditional) telephone line. The transfer rate is as high as 56 kbit/sec and depends on the quality of the telephone line.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) – a digital line connected to a digital communication network built and developed on the existing telephone network. It uses ISDN adapter instead of modem and the maximum transfer rate is 128 kbit/sec.

Internet subscribers with permanent (full) access – the number of clients connected via a fixed circuit.

Permanent (full) access – permanent connection of the user to the Internet. Most frequently it includes a leased data circuit, DSL technology, cable TV connection, satellite connection, etc).

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) – digital technology which works in a high-frequency band (unlike ISDN); it makes it possible to raise the transfer rate of subscribers’ existing connections.

Internet subscribers with cable TV connection – the number of clients connected via a cable television distribution system.

Internet subscribers with other permanent (full) access – the number of clients connected via a leased data circuit in particular.

The concept ‘leased data circuit’ refers to physical lines along which data are transferred and which form a basis for permanent connection (access). They are provided (leased) to the user by a specialized telecommunication company. The lines use wire, optical and wireless technologies in particular.

Internet users – the total number of users (i.e. not only of subscribers). The indicator is derived from estimates made by individual providers of access to the Internet.

Domain – a basic address on Internet, representing an IP (Internet Protocol) address. It is registered with a registration authority authorized to administer respective domains of the highest level. The Czech national domain in zone .cz (ccTLD CZ) is appropriate for entities operating in the Czech Republic only and for www pages written in Czech. The number of registered domains is related to December of reference year.

Secure server (Secure Socket Layer – SSL) – the protocol developed by Netscape to transfer data in the Internet environment in a secure manner. The SSL operates on the principle of a private cryptographic key, which makes it possible to coda the data transferred within the SSL server. A URL address of a secure server usually starts with https:// instead of http://.


Table 13-19. Computer experts and persons educated in informatics and computer technology

Computer experts – experts in computer technology: both hardware and software (designers and analysts of computing systems, programmers, etc).

By OECD definition, the international standard ISCO-88 (CZ-ISCO-88 in the CR) includes the following persons employed in the national economy in the area of computer technology:

– Computing professionals (CZ-ISCO code 213)

Computer systems designers and analysts (CZ-ISCO 2131)

Computer programmers (CZ-ISCO 2132)

Computing professionals not elsewhere classified (CZ-ISCO 2139)

– Computer associate professionals (CZ-ISCO code 312)

Computer assistants (CZ-ISCO 3121)

Computer equipment operators (CZ-ISCO 3122)

Industrial robot controllers (CZ-ISCO 3123)

Other computer associate professionals, n.e.c. (CZ-ISCO 3129).

Persons educated in informatics and computer technology are persons aged 15+ who successfully completed their tertiary education (ISCED 5B, 5A, 6) in the field of study ISCED 48 – Computing (system design, computer programming, data processing, networks, operating systems).

The data presented in the table (averages of respective years) come from the Labour Force Sample Survey of the CZSO.


Table 13-20. External trade in ICT goods

Goods in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT goods) must either be intended to fulfil the function of information processing and display, or use electronic processing to detect, measure and/or record physical phenomena, or to control a physical process.

In the framework of OECD (2003) a list of ICT goods was defined according to the Harmonised System (HS 2002)—a classification used in external trade—the goods being were pooled to make the following five basic groups:

• Telecommunication equipment
• Computers and related equipment
• Electronic components
• Audio-video equipment
• Other ICT goods.

The data on exports and imports of ICT goods, established in compliance with HS, were obtained from the data sources of the Directorate General of Customs before May 2004 and from the sources of the CZSO (Intrastat) since.


Table 13-21. Basic indicators on industries producing information and communication technologies (ICT sector)

The ICT sector is defined as a combination of manufacturing and services industries whose products capture, transmit or display data and information electronically. It is divided into two parts:

• ICT manufacturing: it includes industries making machinery, apparatus, equipment, etc which are necessary for work with data and information (handling, processing, transmission, etc.) as well as for measurement all physical phenomena and processes in an electronic way;
• ICT services: it includes industries mediating services directly tied with information and communication technologies (sale, lease, telecommunications, databases, software, etc).

In 1998, OECD laid down a list of industries producing information and communication technologies (ICT sector). The list is based on the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, ISIC, Rev. 3 (CZ-NACE in the CR) and was revised in detail in the year 2002. The ICT sector is splitted in:

ICT manufacturing:

• Manufacture of office machinery and computers (CZ-NACE 30)
• Manufacture of insulated wire and cable (CZ-NACE 31.3)
• Manufacture of radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus (CZ-NACE 32)
• Manufacture of electronic valves and tubes and other electronic components (CZ-NACE 32.1)
• Manufacture of television and radio transmitters and apparatus for line telephony and line telegraphy (CZ-NACE 32.2)
• Manufacture of television and radio receivers, sound or video recording (CZ-NACE 32.3)
• Manufacture of instruments & appliances for measuring, checking, testing (CZ-NACE 33.2)
• Manufacture of industrial process control equipment (CZ-NACE 33.3).

ICT services (goods related services):

• Wholesale of household appliances and radio and television goods (CZ-NACE 51.43)
• Wholesale of computers, computer peripheral equipment and software (CZ-NACE 51.84)
• Wholesale of other office machinery and equipment (CZ-NACE 51.85)
• Renting of office machinery and equipment incl. computers (CZ-NACE 71.33).

ICT services (intangible services):

– Telecommunications (CZ-NACE 64.2)

– Computer and related services (CZ-NACE 72)

– Hardware consultancy (CZ-NACE 72.1)

– Software consultancy and supply (CZ-NACE 72.2)

– Data processing (CZ-NACE 72.3)

– Data base activities (CZ-NACE 72.4)

– Maintenance and repair of office, accounting and computing machinery (CZ-NACE 72.5)

– Other computer related activities (CZ-NACE 72.6).

The data on the ICT sector (the average registered number of employees, book value added and sales) were obtained from a structural survey on businesses operating in selected production industries, conducted regularly every year (P 5-01 and P 4-01).


Tables 13-22 to 13-25. Information and communication technologies in the business sector

The data given in this part of the Statistical Yearbook were obtained from a regular annual statistical survey on the ICT use in the Czech business sector (ICT 5-01). The survey was comparable in terms of methodology and contents with similar surveys conducted in the EU member states (Community Survey on ICT Usage and E-commerce in Enterprises 2004). The population comprised legal and natural persons, both incorporated and unincorporated and employing 5 to 9 individuals (mutation A) and 10+ individuals (mutation B), operating in all industries except for agriculture, mining and quarrying, and except for public administration, health and non-profit institutions.

Year-on-year comparability of the data related especially to the e-commerce indicators (the percentage of businesses implementing their sale via the Internet: Tables 13-24 and 13-25) is affected in part by a change in the interpretation of the definitions of these processes and technologies on the part of the businesses, which was verified by phone. A number of the businesses, which reported their Internet sale as of 31 December 2002 and did not report it in the following year, stated that the reason for that was change in understanding the definition of e-commerce because the previous definition was based on a wider concept of e-commerce than the one that corresponds to the definition used in the questionnaire.

Broadband: defined by means of a maximum data transfer speed to the user, which should be higher than 144 kb/s (transmission of information towards the user).

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line): digital technology working, unlike ISDN, in a high-frequency range which makes it possible to raise the transfer rate in existing subscribers’ connections.

Computer network: a physical association of more computers interconnected with communication means. The computers dispose of functional software and hardware tools enabling them to mutually communicate (transfer data). Except for wireless networks, all networks are connected permanently (with special cabling designed for the operation of the network only) or temporarily (e.g. with telephone lines which interconnect the computers at the moment of communication only).

Local area network, LAN: one or more interconnected local computer networks whose user (organization, business) and operator are identical (the network is property of the user). It is characterised by shorter distances between its nodes and (often) higher transfer rates and is used especially for developing internal communication, transferring data, sharing the same programmes, data files, peripheries, etc. – generally for electronic interconnection of individual processes in businesses.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) system: electronic exchange of data in a structured form (e.g. of orders, invoices, debentures, etc.), based on agreed standards of messages between information systems of businesses, carried out with the help of electronic means through reserved, mostly private computer connected networks.

Electronic commerce (e-commerce): undertaking of business transactions (or parts thereof) with the help of advanced means of information and communication technologies. The questionnaire used the OECD definition which defines electronic commerce as the sale or purchase of goods or services between businesses, households, individuals, governments, and other public or private organisations conducted over networks based on the internet protocol (Internet, Extranet via Internet, EDI via Internet, …) or over other computer interconnected networks (system EDI via private computer interconnected networks which do not use the internet protocol, …). The goods and/or services are ordered via these networks, but payments and deliveries can be made on-line or off-line. (Note: Orders received by fax, phone or traditional non-interactive electronic mail are not included in e-commerce.)

Purchase via Internet: purchase of goods and services implemented by means of computer networks based on Internet protocols, most frequently through the seller’ www interface. Purchases implemented by virtue of orders made on the basis of information obtained from Internet and placed in a classic way (telephone, fax, written order) or through classic, hand-written and dispatched e-mails are excluded. The goods or services have to be ordered electronically via the seller’s Internet-www interface to be counted in. The goods ordered in this manner can be paid for and delivered off-line, not through Internet.
Sale via Internet: sale of goods and services implemented by means of computer networks based on Internet protocols. Orders placed electronically, most frequently through the seller’s www pages and www applications, are included. Sales implemented by virtue of orders received in a classic way (telephone, fax, written order) or through classic, hand-written and dispatched e-mails are excluded. The goods or services ordered in this manner can be paid for and delivered off-line, not through Internet.


Table 13-26 to 13-31. Information and communication technologies in households and among individuals

The data rely on the periodic annual statistical survey on the ICT use in Czech households and by individuals was conducted by the CZSO in the 4th quarter of 2004. The survey followed up its pilot survey of 2002, run on a limited sample of respondents, and the first periodic survey implemented in the 4th quarter of 2003. It was based on a similar survey carried out in the EU member states (‘Survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals’) with which it was comparable in terms of both methodology and contents. It was taken in the framework of the Labour Force Sample Survey of the CZSO, on its own questionnaire, which made it possible to tie it in with socio-demographic characteristics of persons in the households. It was a face-to-face type survey and its sample comprised 10 000 individuals aged 15+. In line with the LFSS methodology, the results were grossed up to the whole population of the CR.

The reference period of the survey was (i) the 4th quarter of measured year (data for households) and (ii) mostly last three months in the period observed (for individuals).

PC user: an individual who used PC last three months.

Internet user: an individual who used Internet last three months.

Personal computer: includes all types of personal computers: desktop, notebook or handheld (palmtop).

Broadband: connection that offers higher data transfer speeds. Included in the survey were TV cable connection (CTRV), ASDL, satellite and other wireless connections and hired data circuit (fixed line).

Purchase via Internet: purchase of goods and services implemented by means of computer networks based on Internet protocols, most frequently through the seller’ www interface. Purchases implemented by virtue of orders made on the basis of information obtained from Internet and placed in a classic way (telephone, fax, written order) or through classic, hand-written and dispatched e-mails are excluded. The goods or services have to be ordered electronically via the seller’s Internet-www interface to be counted in. The goods ordered in this manner can be paid for and delivered off-line, not through Internet.


Table 13-32. Information and communication technologies in the public administration sector: 31 December 2003

The data come from the periodic annual statistical survey on the ICT use in the Czech public administration sector in 2003, which followed up the pilot survey in 2002. It was organized (by means of separate questionnaire divisions) in the framework of the annual questionnaire of the government departments, territorial, self-governing units, semi-budgetary organizations and similar institutions. The questionnaire divisions on ICT were completed by government departments and territorial self-governing units (regions and municipalities). As for the ICT, the survey was exhaustive (except for municipalities with population up to 500, where a sample was used) and referring to 31 December 2003.

Broadband: defined by means of a maximum data transfer speed of connection, which has to be higher than 128 kb/s (transfer of information towards the user). One should exercise care in evaluating statistical survey results because there are more possibilities of defining the broadband.


Table 13-36. Usage of the Internet and computers by employees of independent surgeries of physicians

Other information: legislation and general information from various areas having relation to work in health establishments.

Other administration: financial office, municipal office, regional office, the Czech Social Security Administration, the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the CR; medical chambers; dental chambers; associations.

Usage of the computer for keeping health records:

• at the doctor’s: keeping health records proper (files) in the physician’s computer,
• on the Internet: keeping health records via the Internet, by means of health books on the Internet (e.g. the implementation of the project Internet Access to Health Information on Patients).

• “Results of the ICT Usage Survey in Czech Enterprises 2004” (Czech-English) – December 2005
• “Results of the ICT Usage Survey in Czech Households and among Individuals 2005” (Czech-English) – 2005
• “Results of the ICT Usage Survey in the Czech Government Sector 2004” (Czech-English) – December 2005.