NOV. 18, 2009 • Both Finland and Spain announce similar universal Internet access programs. In Finland, the government mandated 1Mbps universal service be instituted by July 1 of this year, with an emphasis on access in rural and sparsely populated areas. The Spanish government announced a similar 1Mbps universal service mandate to be reached by Jan. 1, 2011.

Impact: High-speed home Internet access is the biggest driver of market growth for games and many other forms of digital content.  When a government invests heavily in infrastructure it usually means it will be followed by growth in the game industry.  Both Spain and Finland were already growing rapidly.  Finland’s broadband penetration is over 70% of households while Spain had passed the 50% mark.  However, unlike a country like South Korea, both countries have significant rural and remote populations, and reaching those areas often requires government support.