Demand for fast broadband underlined

A study has confirmed that demand for high-speed broadband services has become so acute in the UK that people are willing to pay a premium to receive it.

According to a survey carried out by ISPreview, over 55 per cent of those polled said their current service is so slow that they would be willing to pay extra to get a faster connection.

"[This] suggests that many existing services still fail to meet expectations despite the fact that many would be willing to pay more for something a lot faster," the website explained.

Broadband speeds in the UK have been a subject of much debate in recent months as more people look to access superfast services to use technology such as VoIP services.

The government recently unveiled its Digital Britain report which sets out proposals to boost broadband connectivity across the UK over the next three years, with a levy of 50 pence on every fixed-line telephone connection in the country being applied to pay for the initiative.

However, critics have argued the government's plans to provide two megabits per second broadband speeds to all homeowners lack ambition because many applications already require at least this speed to function properly.