Broadband connections overtake dial-up

New figures released by BT Group show that, including cable connections, there are now more than 7.4 million broadband customers in the UK, overtaking the number of dial-up connections.

The figure includes 1.7 million using BT's own broadband services, 3.7 million connected using rival Internet Service Providers and 2 million cable customers from NTL and Telewest.

Broadband connections are now available to 99.6% of the UK population, which Ben Verwaayen, chief executive of BT, said was the "equivalent to the proportion with running water."

Verwaayen added: “I know people's memories are short but I don't think that anybody three years ago had even the faintest hope this would happen. I remember when I came into BT [in April 2002] it was not in anyone's imagination."