Broadband booms as dial-up dies

Growth in broadband take-up is slowing slightly as the market matures

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in September over three-quarters of UK households with an internet connection now use broadband.

Growth in broadband take-up is slowing slightly, however, at three per cent compared to 14 per cent this time last year. This is likely to be down to the mature state of the market, according to the figures.

The 75 per cent threshold has also led to a change in the way the ONS compiles and publishes its statistics. Dial-up access types will not now be split into metered or unmetered categories.

"As dial-up subscriptions decrease, there is less interest in measuring the different types of dial-up, and more in broadband," said the ONS.

"In the next release of Internet Connectivity data as at December 2006, which is due to be published in February 2007, metered and unmetered dial-up subscriptions will be combined into a single dial-up category.

"We plan to publish new categories of broadband by connection speed in the March 2007 release, due to be published in May 2007."

Of the 25 per cent of people still using dial-up, 17 per cent are using metered access while over seven per cent use an unmetered service.

• ONS Internet connectivity September 2006 (PDF)
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