Broadband uptake passes halfway mark in US

US residential broadband penetration is expected to exceed 50 per cent during 2007 - and the UK isn't far behind.

By the end of 2007, more than 60 million US households will be connected - around 55 per cent - according to market researcher Parks Associates.

During 2006, broadband uptake grew by more than 20 per cent in the US and by the end of the year around 50 million households had fat pipes.

The UK isn't far behind though, as around 49 per cent of households have a broadband connection, according to Point Topic figures from the third quarter of 2006.

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In Europe there are still large discrepancies in broadband penetration rates which are exacerbating the digital divide. Residential broadband uptake varies from 73 per cent in Iceland to 1.4 per cent in Moldova.

Worldwide the country with the greatest residential broadband connectivity is South Korea. More than 88 per cent of Korean households had a broadband connection by Q3 of 2006.