Broadband Use 'Unaffected by Economic Downturn'

The importance of broadband in Britons' everyday lives has been highlighted by a new survey from Plusnet.

According to the internet service provider's poll, around nine in ten see their broadband connections as being a necessity, rather than a luxury, in their lives. So entrenched has their usage become, moreover, that just three percent said that they were planning to give up the service in order to economise in the current difficult financial conditions.

Almost a third (30 percent) told Plusnet that they would rather give up or cut down on magazines, cigarettes and alcohol than lose their broadband; a further 14 percent said that they would eat out or have takeaways less, while 12 percent would give up on going to the cinema.

Neil Armstrong, Plusnet’s products director, said: "Broadband is now so popular and central to the daily life of Britain that few consumers are ready to end their internet connection completely to make ends meet. Some are ready to switch suppliers to help with their household budgets but they still want to keep broadband."

Plusnet also found that, far from being an expensive luxury, many broadband connections were "paying their way" by helping users save money elsewhere. Around six in ten told the provider that they regularly used price comparison websites, while a further 46 percent were saving money on goods and services by paying for them online.