Broadband Penetration Exceeds Dial-Up For First Time

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the number of broadband connections in Britain now exceeds that of their dial-up counterparts, marking a sea change in the way consumers access the internet and paving the way for more rich-media content and bandwidth-intensive websites.

Adoption of broadband connections has exceeded that of dial-up for several months, however, the new statistics mark the first time that broadband has accounted for the majority of all internet connections in the UK.

The Government figures show broadband overtaking dial-up in May, with a 50.7% share of all internet connections, marking an 80% growth year on year, due mainly to increased public awareness of the technology, and greater competition between service providers.

The ONS states that, in January 2001, when data on internet connections was first recorded, broadband lines accounted for less than one percent of the internet connections in Britain, making the latest statistics even more impressive.

The growth of broadband looks set to continue, with Jupiter Research predicting an 80% market share for the medium in Europe by 2010, with Britain’s figure likely to be even higher.

The rapid uptake of high-speed connections has led to several media owners creating dedicated broadband content divisions, with Channel 4 amongst those spending the most, earmarking £2 million worth of investment for its broadband operations earlier this month.

Channel 4’s activity will spawn a huge increase in its online content, taking all of its internet content operations in house and seeing a range of content created specifically for internet audiences (see Channel 4 Ploughs £2 Million Into Broadband Content).

Office for National Stastistics: 0845 601 3034 www.statistics.gov.uk