Telecommunication in Iceland

Development of telephone and internet connections

The following diagrams show the development of the various telephone and internet connections as a percentage of the country's population. Values above 100 percent mean that, on average, every inhabitant has more than one connection.

Access to the internet in Iceland from 1990 - 2021

Broadband internet in Iceland 1999 - 2021

The expansion of broadband internet in Iceland is roughly on a par with the USA. Around 100 percent of all residents have access to the internet. Around 38 percent have their own fast internet connection, which is at least faster than the former ISDN (more than 256 kbit/s). All fixed connections via DSL, cable or satellite were counted here, but not those connected to the internet via mobile communications. With around 2.3 people per household, this means that around 88.4 percent of all households are equipped with a high-speed internet connection.

The increasing prevalence of cell phones and the simultaneous decline in landline phones clearly indicate a change in Iceland. While the number of landlines has fallen significantly in recent years, the spread of cell phones has risen to 117 cell phone subscriptions per 100 people at last count. Such a clear shift does not occur in all countries, but the trend points in the same direction internationally.