UK internet industry continues to grow

There are now more than four million .uk domain names, with 110,000 new registrations a month.

According to Nominet, the .uk domain name registry, the growth of the UK internet industry is showing no signs of slowing down, with more than 150 UK web addresses being registered every hour of every day.

This time last year the average number of .uk registrations averaged around 80,000 per month. In 2005, this has risen to an average of 110,000 per month.

Independent research commissioned by Nominet also revealed that UK specific internet addresses are the first port of call for the vast majority of Britons searching for information and purchases online.

The findings show that almost half of Britons (47 per cent) feel reassured that they can contact a .uk company easily by other means, such as telephone or mail, because they have a UK presence. More than a third (34 per cent) also have their confidence in .uk websites boosted because they are expected to adhere to UK trade laws.

Lesley Cowley, chief executive at Nominet, said: "The UK internet industry is experiencing substantial growth. The combination of greater broadband take up and the established popularity of .uk domain names demonstrates that the UK internet industry is more buoyant than ever."