ONS ends internet monitoring as broadband so popular

95 per cent of UK connections now made via broadband

95 per cent of UK web connections now use broadband

The adoption of broadband for web access in the UK is now so widespread that the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has decided to no longer measure the growth of internet use.

The ONS’s final quarterly internet connectivity report shows that 19 out of 20 connections are now made via broadband.

The survey started in 2001 as a way to gauge the take-up of internet access and broadband connectivity across the UK. Since 2005, broadband use has grown by nearly 130 per cent, while dial-up access fell by nearly 90 per cent.

The government's Digital Britain report released last month proposed a universal broadband service of "up to" 2Mbit/s for all homes and businesses in the UK.

The final ONS study also showed that 59.6 per cent of broadband connections now have a speed greater than 2Mbit/s – based on advertised ISP rates, not actual speeds.