The number of broadband connections in the UK shot up by a third during 2006 -
27th March
2007 |
According to analysts at Point Topic, in the fourth quarter of 2006 the number of broadband connections in the country was 13.1 million — up from 9.8 million in the same quarter of 2005. The number of broadband connections worldwide was around 281.3 million at the end of 2006.
The increase of 33 percent was slightly above the global average, which was 31 percent, and it placed the UK seventh on a worldwide table of broadband connectivity. The countries in the top 10 were more or less in the same order as a year before, except Germany which had overtaken South Korea. Top of the list is the US, at 57.3 million connections, followed by China at 51.9 million, then Japan at 26.1 million.
Within the top 10, France experienced the highest increase in uptake at 40 percent to take it one place in front of the UK.
However, outside the top 10, the picture was radically different, with Turkey showing an increase of 88 percent and India achieving an astounding 152 percent increase in broadband uptake, albeit from a smaller base.
Point Topic also noted that DSL "remains the most popular broadband access technology" with a 65.7 percent market share worldwide. But fibre to the home is becoming more widespread, and currently has more than 10 percent of the market. Less than 1 percent of broadband connections worldwide are by satellite |
Highland schools get broadband -
25th March
2007 |
The Scottish Highland Council has awarded telecoms operator Thus a seven-year £70m contract to provide broadband links to schools and libraries.
The snappily titled Highlands and Islands Pathfinder Broadband Procurement Project will link up 850 sites with the focus on providing teaching and learning support.
The project was launched today in Inverness by first minister Jack McConnell, MSP, and is expected to be completed within two years.
Because of the challenging terrain, the network comprises a mix of copper, fibre and wireless connections.
Highland Council chief executive Arthur McCourt said in a statement: "Ensuring that local public services have access to the latest broadband technology is a vital step in modernising local government. It will provide a tremendous boost to modern learning and teaching practice and to the provision of services to the public." |
UK leads western europe the in broadband penetration -
22nd March 2007 |
New reports from eMarketer and the IAB place the UK as the most digital country in Western Europe, reinforcing the findings of a report by Informa which was published in May 2006.
According to eMarketer’s “UK Online” report, the UK has the fifth-highest number of broadband connections in the world. In 2006, 12 million households subscribed to broadband.
The US leads the way with 54.6 million broadband households, China is in second with 46.6 million, followed by Japan with 23.7 million and South Korea with 12.7 million.
eMarketer estimates that by 2011, 20 million households in the UK with be subscribing to broadband, representing 76.8% market penetration.
According to the IAB’s report, global online ad expenditure was nearly $17 billion in 2006 with over 10% of this coming from the UK - more then in the US.
In 2006, online ad spending in the UK overtook ad expenditure in national newspapers. |
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