Broadband dominating UK internet connections

The vast majority of internet connections in the UK are now high-speed broadband, new research claims.

Figures released for the fourth quarter last year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that 19 out of 20 UK internet lines are via broadband.

ONS figures indicated that broadband accounted for 95.1 per cent of all internet connections, which represented an increase on the 94.1 per cent posted for September 2008.

This was mirrored by the number of dial-up internet connections declining by 17.5 per cent, which contributed to an overall 0.3 per cent fall in all new internet connections during the fourth quarter last year.

The ONS statistics also revealed that 59.6 per cent of broadband services during December 2008 were of 2Mbps or greater, which was an increase on 57.7 per cent at the start of the quarter.

US president Barack Obama last week signed a $7.2 billion (£4.95 billion) broadband stimulus package as part of a major economic rejuvenation push.