Broadband: You've never had it so good

Broadband prices are hitting new lows worldwide, a new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has found.

As of the start of this year, Brits pay around $0.63 per 100Kbps, placing Blighty just outside the top 10 cheapest countries, according to the research. The Japanese pay the least at just $0.07 per 100Kbps, while those living in Cape Verde - an island off the western coast of Africa - provide the high price watermark at $2,344 per 100Kbps.

Tim Kelly, head of the strategy and policy unit at the ITU, said today in Hong Kong that broadband is now reaching the levels necessary to support the original dot-com dreams.

He said: "Broadband is improving at a faster rate than Moore's Law. It's doubling what you get for same the price every 12 months."

Mobile prices in the UK are also low in comparison with the world's average. The UK now pays an average of $0.10 for a minute of off peak calling, compared to a world average of $0.31 and the European average of $0.33.

ITU's stats reveal that at the start of 2006 the UK had 9.5 million fixed and 4.5 million mobile subscribers.