Broadband Connections Break The One Million Mark
More than one million UK households now have a high-speed broadband internet connection, according to a report from communications regulator Oftel.
The figures from telecoms operators show that the amount of broadband connections has doubled over the last six months, with the number of new connections now running at over 20,000 per week.
Dave Edmonds, Oftel’s director general of telecommunications, said: “Broadband is available to consumers through many different service providers using a variety of different networks, resulting in increased choice and lower prices. UK consumers now have access to some of the lowest prices for broadband services in Europe.”
BT has been instrumental in driving the increase in broadband uptake and the company’s chief executive, Ben Verwaayen, has pledged to have an additional 500,000 broadband connections by next summer (see BT’s ‘No Frills’ Service Ups Broadband Stakes). The company, which has vowed to put broadband at the heart of its business, recently launched a £10m advertising campaign to promote the benefits of high-speed internet access (see BT To Spend £1m A Day Promoting Broadband).
AOL, also upped the stakes in the broadband price war today with the launch of a new “no frills” internet package, offering subscribers high-speed access for £27.99 per month. The internet service provider is hoping to encourage more of its existing customers to upgrade to broadband by offering access to a range of multimedia services from the AOL Time Warner stable of brands.
Karen Thomson, chief executive of AOL UK, said: “We know from having two million members that the majority of UK consumers want more than just a basic broadband internet connection. They want a full range of content, fun, entertainment, communication tools, ease-of-use and quality service in a single, simple package.”
Competition in the broadband market is tough and rivalry between the sector’s major players is helping to drive down prices. A recent report from Continental Research also suggests that consumer interest in broadband is increasing and around 700,000 homes plan to upgrade to a high-speed internet connection within the next twelve months (see Research Reveals Growing Consumer Interest In Broadband).
Oftel: 020 7634 8761 www.oftel.gov.uk
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