Internet subscriptions rise in the recession

Internet subscribers continue to increase despite the recession, according to a report released today.

Akamai Networks has published its quarterly report named "The State of the Internet" which showed a global rise in connections of 29 per cent on a year on year basis.

The report outlined trends from around the world, including the UK, discussing security threats, increase in speed, and broadband networks.

The report said: "For broadband to be a game-changer, fibre must be delivered as close as possible to the home to overcome the current limitations of the copper network."

Regarding speed, the report also showed this had risen with 20 per cent of the world's internet connections being broadband at 5Mbps or more. The average global speed has now reached 1.7 Mbps.

The release also referenced Lord Carter's Digital Britain report, praising the investment the UK was putting into the broadband structure but saying: "such a plan could widen the so-called digital divide, providing extremely high-speed services to subscribers in urban areas, while more rural users would be stuck with the lower speeds available through an aging broadband infrastructure."