'Government may not need to help Digital Britain'

Government funding may not be needed to help reach targets set out in the recent Digital Britain report as web access could soon be available in many different ways.

According to City University London, the growth of technologies such as Internet Protocol Television and web access on mobile devices is increasing the availability of the internet and could relieve any pressure for the government to invest.

As the internet becomes more widely available through media other than laptops and home computers, investment could be easier to source to enable more people to browse their favourite websites and use VoIP solutions.

Addressing the Westminster eForum keynote seminar, Broadband for All?, Professor Frank Webster, head of the department of sociology at City University London, said: "Digital Britain will come about for most people through the enhanced television set. It is entertainment-led. I don't see any particular reason for us to get in a huff about that."

About a quarter of web users questioned in a recent Ofcom survey said they use the internet primarily to communicate with their friends and family.