A impedance model simulating the electrical characteristics of the External Electrode fluorescent lamp operated at high frequency is proposed. The model is constructed from a two parameter equation which is derived based on a set of two measurements. This is a readily constructed and computer simulator oriented model which is suitable for a preliminary design of electronic ballasts. Simulated and experimental results are used to verify the analytical discussions, and moreover, an electronic ballast design example using the proposed model is presented to further demonstrate its application.