Over half of the adult population of the UK have access to broadband at home, according to statistics from Ofcom.

Ofcom also stated that 23 per cent of people without an internet connection in their homes planned to get online in the next year. Three-quarters of these would opt for broadband over dial-up.

“We have reached a very significant milestone in the development of broadband Britain. Consumers are responding positively to the competition and innovation that the UK market now offers," said Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards.

Ofcom's report paints a picture of an ever-more connected Britain, with significant progress in the adoption of new technologies.

One in 10 people in the UK use internet telephony services, such as VoIP (voice-over internet protocol) and half have watched video content online. One in five own a laptop with Wi-Fi networking capabilities built in, and a third of UK adults have an internet-enabled mobile phone.

Broadband connection speeds are also increasing, Ofcom found, with the average headline speeds having more than doubled over the last year from 1.6Mbps to 3.8Mbps.

However, these speeds refer to the advertised service rather than the speed that the customer actually receives.

Bundling - whether additional services were available in a package - and price were the two most important factors for consumers choosing an broadband provider.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

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