Internet Fuels Information Services Growth

Americans’ increasing need to get online helped boost revenue for the economy’s information services sector to $776 billion in 1999, a 12% increase from the previous year, the Census Bureau said. Revenue from online information services increased 65% to $19 billion in 1999, the most recent data available, the agency said. Revenue for Internet access fees alone jumped 63% to $9 billion. The report on the information services industry also included revenue from news syndicates, software and print publishers, telecommunications firms and libraries. Telecommunications firms accounted for the biggest chunk of income, up 12% to $319 billion in 1999. There was a 30% increase in revenue from cellular and other wireless communications firms to $46 billion.