Surfers want a faster, safer web

Thirty-two per cent of respondents to a survey by BT said that they would like the web to be faster.

Those questioned in BT's 21st Century Life survey were asked what one single thing would improve the internet and though nearly a third opted for increased speed, some 27 per cent said that they would like the web to be safer.

Ten years ago, BT asked the same questions to a group of surfers. Not surprisingly, speed was a key issue then as well, with 38 per cent saying they wanted a faster web. However, only three per cent were worried about online fraud.

In 1998, 14 per cent of respondents thought that the biggest issue was cost - in 2008, this figure stood at 13 per cent. Six per cent of surfers think that regulation of the web is the key factor in 2008, up from four per cent in 1998.

"Over the last decade, we’ve seen the birth of the online society, the broadband revolution and the evolution of mobile communications, the internet has changed the way we shop, do business and the way we are entertained," John Petter, managing director of BT Consumer said.

Which factor is most important to you - speed, safety or price? Have your say in the Web User forums.

www.bt.com