Square-eyed Brits win Europe's digital top spot

The UK is now the most digital nation in Western Europe - even beating Finland, the high-tech homeland of Nokia and Eurovision Song Contest winners Lordi.

According to research from Informa Telecoms & Media, the UK scores the highest on the analysts' index for use of converged media, beating the Finns into second place by a considerable margin.

But it's not innovative services and high-tech rollouts that have earned the UK the top spot - it's the Brits' love of telly.

The research showed the UK won its number one ranking because of its prodigious take-up of digital telly, with 17 million viewers across the nation.

The report also took into account uptake of both broadband and high-speed mobile services. Finland has around 20 broadband users per 100 inhabitants, whereas the UK has roughly 12, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

However, separate studies into 'e-readiness' - how a country takes up and uses the internet and mobile services - found Denmark to be the web-savviest nation, ahead of the UK which was in fifth place.