The number of broadband users has doubled over the past year, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics, with over a quarter of all internet users now subscribing to a permanent high speed connection.
Since April 2003, broadband has grown from a 14.5% share of internet subscribers to 27.2% in April 2004, says the latest
Internet Connectivity report. In comparison, the share of dial-up fell to 78.2% from 85.5%.
The report says that the increase in broadband reflects the introduction of new pricing plans and the continued increase in availability of broadband services.
During April, the number of subscribers using free access or bill access fell to 37%, compared with 43% a year ago. While 31% paid a fixed rate for unmetered access. Subscriptions using fixed rate plus calls was 5%, while ‘always on’ subscriptions rose to 27% compared with 15% on the same period last year.
The number of broadband subscribers in the UK looks set to continue growing over the next few years, with the latest report from eMarketer saying it believes the UK will grow to become the largest broadband market in Europe by 2007, with 7.2 million DSL and 3.9 million cable internet households.
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