UK Catches Up in Broadband

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
Britons get a choice of providers and speeds.

In May 2007, 15.23 million UK households had Internet access, according to the UK Office of National Statistics' "2007 Omnibus Survey." That represents 61% of UK households, up nearly 7% since the previous year's study. "The UK government has managed to successfully create a regulatory environment that has fostered competition in the sector," said eMarketer senior analyst Ben Macklin.

"Separating the wholesale and retail arms of British Telecom has given smaller ISPs and access providers an opportunity to compete with their bigger rivals," he said. Just over one-half of UK households had Internet access in 2007, up 40% from 2006. More than eight in 10 UK households with Internet now have broadband connections. In March 2007, eMarketer put UK household broadband penetration at 47.1%. eMarketer projected that the UK's broadband penetration rate would increase to nearly 76.8% by 2011. The ONS itself does not make projections.

"Earlier this decade the UK was lagging badly behind many of its Western European and international counterparts in terms of broadband penetration," Mr. Macklin said. "But the UK is now one of the most competitive broadband markets in the world. "UK consumers now have a healthy choice of broadband in terms of price, service provider and technology," he said. The UK leads Europe's five largest markets in broadband uptake, both in the number of broadband households and penetration.

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