The proportion of Britons opting for broadband connections over dial-up grew over the last quarter, new research reveals.

According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 88.4 per cent of UK web connections are now via broadband - up from June's figure of 85.2 per cent.

"The market share of broadband connections has been increasing since the index began in 2001, reflecting its continuing popularity, widespread availability and competitive connection packages offered by ISPs," the ONS said.

ONS' study also showed that nearly half of connections - 49.2 per cent - have an advertised maximum speed of over 2Mbps.

However, the report did not detail whether this speed was being achieved.

"The speed advertised for each subscription may not be the speed attained by the end user, as attained speed of connection is affected by issues such as distance from the local exchange and line quality," the report's authors commented.