Broadband drives demand for online TV

The number of web users visiting online video websites has soared as high-speed connections have become more prevalent, according to a new report.

Research from eMarketer shows that 62.6 per cent of UK households currently have access to broadband, with this figure set to climb to around 74 per cent in four years time.

Karin von Abrams, senior analyst and author of the report, Web Television in Europe: An Expanding Scene, claims that this trend will drive demand for online TV via services such as the BBC's iPlayer.

She said: "Already in the first half of 2008, over one-half of UK adults with Internet access had watched TV online, and many had used it to catch programs they had missed."

Recent figures published by ABI Research suggest that over one billion users will access online video by 2013, which will force ISPs to invest a significant amount of capital on improving network infrastructure.