Residents of eastern Germany are beginning to catch up with those in the western part of the country when it comes to computer ownership and Internet connections, according to a recent report by the Institute of Empirical Research (LEIF). The study revealed that 56 percent of East Germans now own a computer and 45 percent have access to the net. Five years ago only 9 per cent had internet access. In the survey of over 1,200 Germans of 16 years and over in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania, Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony, those with Internet access spend seven hours per week online, about 30 minutes more than in 2002.