Silver surfers use web the most

The over-55s spend more than 42 hours a month online each, more than any other age group.

Industry regulator Ofcom today published its Communications Market Report 2007 which found that one quarter of all UK surfers are over 50 and this age group account for 30 per cent of total time spent online.

It also seems that females are spending more time online than men, certainly in the younger age groups. Between the ages of 25-34, 2.18 million women use the web compared to 1.83 million men.

By April of this year, 53 per cent of UK homes had a broadband connection, according to Ofcom, with an average connection speed of 4.6Mbps, though this was the advertised speed of the service rather than the true speed.

According to Ofcom, "The increase in headline speeds is due in part to continued investment and growth in local loop unbundling which enables operators to install their own equipment in BT’s exchanges and offer broadband services direct to consumers."

And the report also found that 40 per cent of the population now have their communication services provided in a 'bundle', meaning that they get more than one services such as broadband, television, landline telephone and mobile phone from the same company.

"On average, each person now spends more than seven hours cumulatively every day watching, listening, making phone calls and web-browsing. This reflects both the growing importance of communications services in our work and leisure lives and a growing desire, particularly among the young, to use multiple services simultaneously," said Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive.

The report also shows the number of Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK has increased to 11,447, compared to 10,339 last April.

www.ofcom.org.uk

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