UK web connections now 90 per cent broadband

Broadband became the most common connection in 2005

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that nearly nine out of 10 fixed internet connections in the UK now use broadband.

More than 86 per cent of UK homes accessed the internet using broadband in June 2007, according to data from internet service providers.

Broadband use has continually grown since the ONS started collecting data in 2000, and became the most common connection in 2005.

"The market share of broadband connections has been increasing since the index began in 2001, reflecting its growing popularity, widespread availability and the competitive connection packages offered by ISPs," said the ONS in a statement.

"In June 2007, the indices of active subscriptions for dial-up and broadband connections were 31.7 and 202.7 respectively when compared with their base of 100 in March 2005."

While broadband growth peaked last year, the market is still growing at over six per cent per annum.

Connection speeds are also increasing, according to the report. Some 47 per cent are now faster than 2Mbps, an increase from 43 per cent in March 2007.

The percentage of connections with a speed of less than 2Mbps decreased to 52.8 per cent in June 2007, down from 56.8 per cent in March 2007 and 62.1 per cent in December 2006.