'Broadband network ready for swine flu'

Major internet provider BT has said that Britain's existing broadband infrastructure is able to deal with usage surges that might be brought on by swine flu.

With the virus spreading more quickly across the UK, more employees may have to spend time away from the office, at which point remote working using the internet and VoIP solutions to communicate with colleagues could become more widespread, reports the BBC.

Much of the UK still relies on conventional copper wiring for its broadband networks, which has caused doubt over whether it could cope with regular usage spikes, although some experts have said companies should be more concerned about their own IT systems.

Andrew Ferguson, editor ThinkBroadband, a website that offers broadband news, told the BBC: "What is likely to happen is that the evening peak spike may be repeated during the day and providers that have no spare capacity now will struggle."

Many companies are already embracing remote working as it can lead to cost-savings during the recession while also being more environmentally-friendly.