Sky broadband continues growth

British Sky Broadcasting has continued its progress in the broadband market.

It first began offering internet access two years ago, and has now signed up 1.6 million customers, making it the UK's fifth-largest broadband company, reports the Financial Times.

And for the last six quarters the company has signed up impressive numbers of customers.

It is confident that it will hit its target of three million users by 2010, according to the director of broadband and telephony, Delia Bushell.

She told the newspaper that she bases her view on Sky's advantage of being able to sell broadband to its existing 8.9 million television customers.

"There is a substantial opportunity for growth," she said, citing the fact that at the moment only 11 per cent of Sky's television customers are also buying broadband and telephony from it.

She also felt the current turbulent economic climate would not impact heavily, because Sky's "triple play" offer of TV, telephony and broadband is competitively priced.

Sky is catching up on Tiscali, and could potentially be the fourth largest broadband provider in the third quarter.