UK internet usage on the rise

LONDON - Internet usage in the UK is rising rapidly as the number of homes with internet connections has risen by 4m year on year, bringing the number of homes online to 10m, according to Oftel's latest quarterly summary.

The report, which covers May 2001, said that the number of UK homes choosing fully unmetered ISPs has increased by 6% since February, with 24% of UK homes using unmetered access services.



The summary also included information about mobile phone usage. Mobile ownership by UK adults has reached the 70% mark, with 79% of those using pre-paid packages.



Around 15% of consumers said their mobile phone was their main method of making and receiving calls, and nine out of 10 consumers without a fixed line at home use a mobile phone. Only 1% of the UK's adult population does not have a fixed-line or mobile phone.



Oftel commissioned market research firm Mori to conduct the survey, which questioned 2,089 UK adults during May.