Majority of UK firms online

New research from Oftel indicates that 63 percent of UK businesses have Internet access, up from 61 percent in August 2001.

Ninety-two percent of medium-sized firms, and 62 percent of small firms, have Internet access. Twenty-seven percent of small firms say it is unlikely that they will get connected to the net, down from 31 percent in May 2001.

Only 5 percent of SMEs have DSL or cable broadband Internet access. Seventy-eight percent of small firms use dial-up access, as do 37 percent of medium-sized firms. Forty-three percent of medium firms use ISDN connections.

The average price paid per month per business for Internet access is GBP74. Eighty-nine percent of UK companies say they are satisfied with the quality of service delivered by their ISP, but 73 percent say they are least satisfied with their speed of access.

www.oftel.co.uk