23 February 2009
Web access via broadband rather than dial-up now accounts for 19 out of every 20 connection made, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which has been monitoring internet trends since 2001, made the discovery in its December study of UK web use.
Broadband figures were up from 94.1% in September 2008. Despite this, a marked decrease in dial-up resulted in a 0.3% fall in the index of all connections between September and the end of the year.
Broadband is now so popular that the ONS is suspending future measurements of its growth.
The move comes as experts predict the broadband market will not be affected by the recession in the same way that other sectors have been.
Ashley Highfield, Managing Director and Vice-President of consumer and online UK at Microsoft, said: "There has been no evidence so far - and I don't believe there will be - of anyone giving up broadband anymore than anyone's going to give up water or electricity."