Ref: 03/03
Date: 27 January 2003

Awareness and use of broadband services continues to grow according to new consumer research published by Oftel today.

84 per cent of UK Internet customers are now aware of broadband services and the benefits they can offer compared to just over 50 per cent in February 2002.

Take up of new broadband subscriptions has now risen to almost 30,000 per week, and the UK now has over 1.4 million broadband users.

Other key findings of the research are:

• one in ten of UK homes with Internet access use broadband services;
• the average household spends around nine hours a week online; and
• nine out of ten households are satisfied with the service they get from their Internet service provider.

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today:

"Broadband has really taken off in the UK with almost 30,000 consumers a week signing up for broadband services.

"One in ten homes with Internet access now use broadband and this figure is rising fast as people become more aware of the benefits that broadband can bring.

"As well as the move towards high-speed broadband services consumers also benefit from good deals on unmetered dial-up access.

"And around a third of Internet users are interested in broadband services.

"I am delighted to see the UK consumer making real use of all the choices available to them to get online."

Stephen Timms, e-Commerce Minister added:

"These findings are great news for the UK. It is wonderful to see the joint work of Government and Industry in raising awareness of the benefits of broadband really paying off. I look forward to seeing this trend continue."

Notes to editors

1. Oftel has today published the following quarterly research reports:

Consumers’ use of fixed telecoms services - residential survey - Q11 November 2002
Consumers’ use of mobile telephony - residential survey - Q11 November 2002
Consumers’ use of Internet - residential survey - Q11 November 2002
Business use of fixed telecoms services - small and medium business survey - Q11 November 2002
Business use of mobile telephony - small and medium business survey - Q11 November 2002
Business use of Internet - small and medium business survey - Q11 November 2002

All Oftel’s research and trends information is available on Oftel’s website at: www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/research. Hard copies are available to the media from Oftel's Press Office, telephone 020 7634 8991, and to the public from Oftel's Research and Information Unit, telephone 020 7634 8761.