In the UK today, there is still a large number of people who have no access to the internet even though most of the country is online. The Office of National Statistics puts the figure of people with no internet access at home at 27%. They also say that while 99% of 16-24 year olds have used the internet, only 40% of those aged over 65 have. There is also concern about the speed of the UK’s broadband in comparison to other countries. So where does it go next?

Probably one of the biggest upcoming changes to UK broadband is massively increased speed, largely provided by the massive roll out of fiber optic broadband currently underway and led by providers such as BT and Virgin Media. Estimates suggest this could increase the speed by 50-60% within a year of the system going live as well as provider more extensive coverage. This will massively increase broadband speed – the average speed is currently 6.4Mbps, which is above the global average of 5.9Mbps and double what it was in 2008.

The UK also has commitments to European Union law in terms of improving its broadband coverage for the future. By 2013, it has to provide basic broadband coverage to all citizens, reversing the current trend where people in rural areas have much less access to the internet than people living in towns and cities. It is also committed to providing 30Mbps broadband by 2020, although it is currently a couple of years behind on its work to meet these commitments.

ADSL2+ is another project currently underway that is having a much more immediate impact on the speeds of the UK’s broadband. It’s part of a BT-integrated project called the 21st century network, and it can offer speeds of 24Mbps. These speeds are, however, not universally available as they are dependent on the distance people are from the exchange and can be affected by electromagnetic disturbance. It’s a variant of the existing DSL and every exchange is due to be enabled with ADSL2+ by 2011.

Overall, the UK is expected to become much more reliant on broadband over the coming years as coverage and speeds improve. The advent of mobile broadband is also making it easier to connect, and increasingly, personal financial transactions are carried out online. The government is also considering making some services online-only, which is a massive step. Businesses also increasingly use the internet, a trend that is set to continue as it becomes easier and cheaper to carry out work online, making the current system upgrades even more vital.

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