Are you a normal broadband user?

Research out today shows the average UK broadband connection is now running at just under 2Mbps.

According to research consultancy XTN Data, the largest group of broadband users - 39 per cent - have speeds of 2Mbps, followed by 29 per cent on 1Mbps and another 20 per cent on 512Kbps.

While ISPs have been falling over themselves to provide next generation broadband services offering speeds up to 22Mbps, a far smaller slice of broadband Britain has actually taken up the speedier connections - 4Mbps and 8Mbps connections are being used by six per cent each of the DSL population.

According to XTN Data, the reason why most of the UK's broadband users are logging on to the internet using connections slower than 2Mbps is that many ISPs are reselling them connectivity bought from BT Wholesale - which is capped at a top speed of 2Mbps.

With the advent of local loop unbundling – where ISPs can effectively take over a telephone exchange by putting in their own equipment – speeds are expected to rise.

The report from XTN Data also found that an average broadband customer will spend three hours of their time surfing the net for fun every day. Interestingly, the average dial-up user spends roughly the same time online, according to the report.

According to the report, most high-speed broadband users are NTL-Telewest customers – a combined figure of 26 per cent, followed by BT at 18 per cent and AOL with 11 per cent. Broadband Britain seems to now be a relatively settled nation, with just 10 per cent of users eyeing up a switch to another provider.