Ofcom reports increase in broadband connections in UK

Communications regulator Ofcom has reported an increase in the level of broadband connections in the UK, which are now said to have reached over seventeen and a half million.

The take up of UK broadband has been soaring over recent years, with a greater number of providers offering a wider range of deals that are both affordable and easily accessible for many people. According to recent figures released from the communications regulator Ofcom the level of broadband take-up has continued to soar recently, with the number of broadband connections in the UK now said to have reached over seventeen and a half million.

The Ofcom figures showed that broadband connections in the UK are now coming in at around 17.6 million. The number of connections that are now in place in the UK as of the end of the first quarter reflect an increase of around 1.6 percent, compared to the final quarter of last year based on the Ofcom Telecommunications Market Data Tables.

Around 4.6 million of these connections were thought to be through BT Retail, which came out as the top provider according to the reports, and another 3.4 million are said to have come from other DSL providers. Around 3.7 million of these connections were through Virgin Media cable. Whilst BT currently takes a larger share than its main rival Virgin Media, the new 50Mbps offering along with reduced prices being offered from Virgin could see a change in this situation.

A recent study has shown that the fastest broadband download speeds are being offered by Virgin Media, with average speeds coming in at 7.42Mbps, and this again may affect the number of people switching from BT or other providers to Virgin.

Source – Cable