Broadband benefits

24-hour internet connection Video on demand Fast interactive digital TV Fast interactive home shopping Video e-mail Video conferencing Fast downloading of games and music

The US also fares well, with 11% of households connected to a high-speed service. France has the highest percentage of broadband households in Europe, with one in sixteen households, or 6%, enjoying a broadband connection.

The UK is down at 3%, the same level as Spain, and only better off than China. One reason why the introduction of broadband internet access has been slow in the UK is the high cost.

In a recent survey, Oftel found that the UK's services were more expensive to the consumer than in Germany, France and the US.

But operating companies are also complaining that the investment costs needed to roll out the project are too high to be justified.

Age gap

WorldCom, RSL Communications, Thus and Dutch firm Versatel have all already pulled out of the race.

And other firms still in the running, such as Freeserve and AOL have criticised the pace at which they are given access to BT's telephone infrastructure, accusing the former state monopoly of discrimination by connecting up far fewer of their customers than its own.

In the US, children under 14 are by far the fastest-growing subscriber group to broadband services, and now account for 9.1% of the total US connections.

And the gender gap rears its head in broadband use, even more so than for normal internet use. The male population accounts for almost 60% of broadband subscribers, and 55% of all surfers.

This is making sites that offer audio or video choices, entertainment portals, and gaming sites gear their products towards a male and younger market.