Superfast demand fuels UK broadband rise

The UK’s fixed broadband subscriber base grew 1.2 million year-on-year in the third quarter, as consumers clamor for high-speed access, research firm Point Topic claims.
 
Regular figures from the firm show total broadband connections hit 20.4 million at end-September, up from 19.2 million in 3Q10, after an additional 289,000 users were added during the quarter – up from 240,100 in 2Q11.
 
Annelise Berendt, senior analyst at the firm, believes demand for superfast services – those offering data rates of 25 Mbps and over - is fuelling the increase. The number of superfast subscribers hit 845,800 in the third quarter, and Berendt predicts the figure will break the million mark by the year-end – equivalent to 5% of the UK’s total user base.