UK broadband market continues to grow

The number of broadband connections in the UK surged to 15.6 million, according to the latest figures released by Ofcom.

The telecoms regulator's report for the fourth quarter of 2007 shows that BT led the market with a 26.5 per cent share, followed by Virgin Media in second place.

An increased number of local loop unbundled (LLU) lines has also attracted more consumers given that firms are offering more cheap broadband promotions.

Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: "As the broadband market becomes increasingly saturated ISPs will be looking to increase their customer base by enticing consumers away from rival providers."

However, Mr Phillips added that there remains scope for further growth given approximately 17 million people are unable to connect to the internet at either home or work.

Recent research by YouGov suggests that consumers pay over the odds for their broadband because they fail to understand bandwidth limits. Nearly eight in broadband users do not track how close they are to exceeding their download allowance, while a further 27 per cent of respondents did not even know their usage limit.