Broadband usage continues to surge ahead

According to figures released today, three out of four connections to the internet are via broadband.

The figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, show that dial-up connections continued to decline and only accounted for 24.8 percent of connections. The total number of broadband connections has steadily increased to 75.2 percent of all connections, reflecting the lower costs for a broadband connection, due to the intense competition in the broadband market. 

Many providers now offer cheap or so-called ‘free’ broadband alongside other services, such as a telephone line, TV subscription and mobile services. Online services such as TV On-Demand, free internet calls and feature rich media websites, are probably helping to tempt more consumers to make the switch.

The figures are compiled by data provided from a sample set of broadband ISPs and provide an indication to the overall popularity of broadband, which now appears to be fast becoming a necessity for many consumers and businesses.