Ofcom figures reveal surge in broadband take-up

The latest figures from industry regulator Ofcom have revealed a surge in the number of Britons installing broadband connections in their home.

Nearly 70 per cent of homes had a broadband connection in March this year, meaning the number of people with the ability to use VoIP solutions and surf the internet increased by ten per cent in the space of a year.

In addition, the average time people spend online in the course of a single day has risen by over 15 minutes in five years, a figure that suggests broadband is becoming more integral to everyday life.

The figures also reveal that mobilebroadband take-up has surged. Around one in nine homes now has mobile capabilities, although the regulator suggests this is still secondary to fixed-line services for most users.

As broadband take-up increases, the major internet service providers are under pressure to invest in next-generation networks, while the government has pledged to supply every home with a two megabits-per-second connection by 2012.