UK Broadband Uptake Continues To Rise
12% of UK internet users, or almost 2 million people, have a broadband internet connection at home, up from 9% in February 2002, according to BMRB’s bystesize research.
The study shows that the popularity of broadband is still increasing and a further 10% of internet users indicate that they are “very likely” to upgrade to broadband in the next year, with an additional 17% saying they are “quite likely” to make the switch.
Existing broadband users are predominantly male (58%), under the age of 35 (66%), ABC1 (70%) and long-term heavy internet users (80%). They are also much more likely to make online transactions than the average internet user, with two thirds regularly using the internet to shop and over half choosing to bank online.
NTL is the leading provider of broadband internet connections, supplying 41% of the total. Around 25% subscribe to Telewest and about 20% to BT. However, BT was the preferred supplier amongst those intending to switch to broadband (37%), followed by NTL (20%) and Telewest (9%). Only 3% of respondents said they would go to Freeserve for their broadband connection and just 2% to AOL. According to BMRB, this reflects the low awareness of the services they offer.
The study shows that the ability to use the phone whilst online provides the biggest motivation for women to subscribe to broadband, whereas men are more interested in faster page downloads. Older internet users are not interested in using the phone and the internet at the same time, with the majority of over 55s expressing enthusiasm for the faster internet experience. 6% of respondents mention an “always on” connection as broadband’s most attractive feature, with just a few percent citing content as the biggest draw.
The latest figures from the Office Of National Statistics show that permanent internet connections, which include broadband and ADSL services, showed a 428% year on year increase during April (see Internet Subscriptions Show 16.1% Year On Year Growth).
BMRB: 020 8566 5000 www.bmrb.co.uk
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