EU countries ahead of US in broadband deployment

Four European Union (EU) nations have the best broadband deployment rates in the world, according to a new publication.

The European commission's 13th Single Telecoms Market Progress Report has shown that Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden saw penetration rates in excess of 30 per cent at the end of last year.

Along with the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, these countries saw higher rates than the US in 2007, with some 19 million EU broadband lines added last year.

Despite this apparent success, more needs to be done to convey more of the benefits from a single telecoms market to consumers, EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding remarked.

"Competition is limited for access to the fixed network which is still provided to 86.5 per cent of customers over the incumbent's infrastructure," she explained.

"In addition, though telecoms technologies know no borders, only 30 per cent of major operators' EU business is outside their home market."

A report published by UK telecoms regulator Ofcom last year revealed that more than half of all British households had an internet connection at the end of 2006, placing the UK above the US for the first time.