Broadband used by nine in ten UK connections

High-speed broadband services have spread successfully across the UK as consumers choose to take advantage of fast web connections.

According to official figures, some 88.4 per cent of internet lines in Briton are broadband-enabled, following a 26 per cent rise from last year.

This means that just one in ten Britons using the web do so on a slower dial-up connection.

Instead the majority is using services with always-on broadband, with half of these lines racking up speeds of over two megabits per second.

This allows the connection to carry more bandwidth-intensive services, such as streaming video or voice calls using IP telephony.

With so many people now hooked up to fast connections, it seems likely that growing numbers realise the potential of using the same line to make their voice calls for a much reduced price.