More than 17 million households in the UK, or 67.2% of the total, will subscribe to various broadband technologies in 2009, according to online research firm eMarketer.
This figure is an increase of almost 6.5% from the 16.1 million households using broadband in 2008.
Broadband is enabling people in the UK to watch more online TV and video through channels such as BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s catch up service 4oD, as well as YouTube, said eMarketer.
Creators and viewers of user-generated content are posting on social networks, while digital music is as popular as ever and online gaming is growing in popularity.
Karan von Abrams, eMarketer senior analyst, said: “Broadband is increasingly vital for UK consumers as they make the most of what the web has to offer. Dial up is rarely good enough any more.”
| UK Broadband Households by Access Technology, 2008-2013 (thousands and % of total households) |
| |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
| ASDL |
12,358 |
13,181 |
13,489 |
13,501 |
13,401 |
12,890 |
| Cable |
3,711 |
3,889 |
4,056 |
4,229 |
4,389 |
4,523 |
| Other |
33 |
75 |
299 |
745 |
1,450 |
2,455 |
| Total |
16,102 |
17,145 |
17,844 |
18,475 |
19,240 |
19,868 |
| % of total households |
63.3% |
67.2% |
69.8% |
72.2% |
75.0% |
77.3% |
| Note: numbers may not add up to total due to rounding |
| Source: eMarketer, February 2009 |
Earlier this month, eMarketer predicted that there would be more than 20 million men online in the UK in 2009 – 51% of the UK internet user population.
More women in the UK continue to go online as well, said eMarketer, predicting more than 19 million to do so in 2009 (see Men to make up 51% of UK internet population in 2009).
Meanwhile, a recent survey by Lightspeed Research and the IAB found that UK consumers believe they are most likely to pay attention to online ads from the early evening onwards (see UK consumers more likely to pay attention to online ads from early evening onwards).
