Mobile broadband on the rise

Industry regulator Ofcom has reported a surge in usage of 'mobile' broadband services.

Several companies, best known for their mobile phone networks, now provide 'dongles' that can be plugged into a laptop via the USB port and let you connect to the internet without wires.

Ofcom's UK Communications Market Report 2008 said that two million adults in the UK had used a data card, USB modem or dongle to access the internet in March 2008.

Sales of dongles almost doubled from 69,000 to 133,000 a month between February and June 2008, according to the report.

Ofcom reported that the average household now paid £9.45 per month for broadband in 2007, compared to £9.87 in 2006. Fifty-eight per cent of UK homes now have broadband, compared to 52 per cent 12 months ago.

'Bundled' deals are also proving popular, with many people now getting a combination of broadband, digital TV, mobile telephony and fixed-line telephony from the same provider.

According to Ofcom, 32 per cent of households now take a bundle of three or more services from the same provider.

Ofcom also found that many people in the UK are switching provider on a regular basis to get the best deal.

Peter Phillips of Ofcom said: "We are spending more and more time with our communications devices but spending less on them. Our devotion to watching, listening and staying in touch wherever and whenever we want shows no sign of diminishing and, with healthy competition, overall prices offer increasing value for money."

www.ofcom.org.uk