BRICs, Indonesia to Double Internet Use, Report Says

Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia will double their Internet users to 1.2 billion by 2015, fueling growth at media companies and phone carriers, according to Boston Consulting Group.

The countries will have three times the Internet users of the U.S. and Japan combined by then, up from about two times at the end of 2009. Personal computers will double in the five countries to more than 920 million, and mobile phones with Internet access will aid growth, according to the report. As consumers gain more access to the Net, they'll spend more time online, providing a boon to entertainment providers, Boston Consulting Group said. The surge in Web use will benefit media companies such as China's Tencent Holdings Ltd. and phone carriers including PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, analysts said.