Broadband spreading quickly 'due to low prices'

Broadband connections now link up more than half of British homes as competition in the sector lowers prices, according to industry regulator Ofcom.

In the broadband watchdog's survey of the current state of communications in the UK, it found that average connection speeds doubled during 2006 and have continued to improve this year.

Figures for June 2007 show the average UK user now receives a speed of 4.6 Mbit/s, up from just 1.6 Mbit/s at the end of 2006.

Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, said: "Much of the growth in the sector stems from the arrival of 'converged' equipment, capable of receiving services from more than one operator and over multiple platforms.

"Many operators now also offer communications 'bundles' comprising a variety of different services."

All this growth in broadband use has resulted in a higher percentage of people realising the benefits of making calls over the web.

Around one in five people surveyed by Ofcom make phone calls via their computer, compared with 16 per cent last year.