Broadband rules & digital TV on the up, says UK stats office

[Bob Crabtree]

If statistics prove anything (and statistics prove that they do) then there should be some revealing information in the latest report from the government's Office for National Statistics - Social Trends 2006 - even though some of the figures quoted do look a little ancient.

The 242-page report covers everything from population figures and educational trends through crime, housing, health, environment and transport, finally reaching, In Section 13 of the 242-page report - Lifestyles and social participation - the eye-grabbing headlines are:

• In Great Britain, the proportion of households with a broadband connection rose from 8 per cent to 31 per cent between April 2003 and July 2005

• A digital television service was received by 57 per cent of households with a TV set in Great Britain in May 2005 - up from 43 per cent in April 2003

Looking closer, broadband had overtaken dial-up in the first few months of 2005, perhaps by April. And, while satellite remained the most widely used means to receive digital TV (at 32 per cent), most of the digital TV increase came from digital terrestrial. This rose from six per cent of household to 19 per cent.

Lots more good stuff in this HEXUS.headline.

[Dav0s]

oo social trends 06 is out

[Bob Crabtree]

Yes, and all relating to 2005 and earlier, of course!