Northern Europe and Korea again led the OECD nations in broadband penetration, grabbing seven of the top eight spots

By Bruce Meyerson

The number of broadband subscribers among the 30 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) reached 235 million by the end of 2007, an increase of 18% from roughly 200 million a year earlier, according to the organization's annual survey. That growth boosted broadband penetration rates across the member nations to 20 subscribers per 100 inhabitants, up from 16.9 in December, 2006.

Countries in Northern Europe, especially Scandanavia, led the rankings again, grabbing seven of the top eight spots. Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Korea, and Sweden enjoy broadband penetration well above the OECD average, each surpassing 30 subscribers per 100 inhabitants. The strongest per-capita subscriber growth over the year came in Luxembourg, Germany, and Ireland, with each adding more than five subscribers per 100 inhabitants.