A north-south divide in terms of broadband access exists in the UK, new research has revealed.

The study by Point Topic found that just three out of the 68 cities in the UK which are classed as having high broadband penetration are based in the north or west of the country.

Southern regions were found to enjoy broadband penetration of 32.9 per cent, while those higher on the map tend to have a figure of just 26.1 per cent.

"The picture supports the view of Britain as divided between the world metropolis of London, whose tentacles spread widely across the south of England, and a 'provincial archipelago' of smaller centres struggling to survive against the competition," the report outlined.

It was also revealed that only 17.3 per cent of the UK population live in areas with high penetration.

Last month, figures released by Point Topic revealed there were 444.3 million broadband subscribers in the world by the end of the second quarter of 2009.