Broadband surge nets 75% of UK population

The government gave itself a pat on the back yesterday, claiming that its campaign to bring high speed Internet access to the masses has boosted broadband subscriptions to a record 2.3 million British homes and businesses.

According to UK communications minister Stephen Timms, speaking at the Informal Broadband Council in Italy, broadband access in the UK is growing at its fastest rate ever, with 30,000 new subscribers signing up each week.

Quoting figures compiled by Analysys Consulting for the DTI, the minister added that over three quarters of the population can now receive either cable or DSL access. He vowed that, by 2005, Britain would boast the most extensive and competitive broadband market of any G7 nation. In the G7 the UK is currently ranked third for broadband competitiveness, ahead of US but behind Japan and Canada, and fifth in terms of coverage.