E-Commerce startups and Internet-related businesses have a reason to be happy. Broadband uptake in the UK is on the rise, as reported by the Office of National Statistics. As of end-2005, 64% of all Internet connections in the UK are through broadband connections, or lines with speeds that exceed 100 kilobits per second (roughly twice dial-up speeds).
Many internet providers nowadays offer connection speeds upwards of 1 Megabits per second, and even offer upgrades to 2Mbps for low or no cost to consumers. With the popularity of broadband, barriers to consumers’ enjoying e-commerce are being brought down, as the World Wide Web will no longer be in a “world-wide wait.”
A high broadband penetration is good for businesses, and is helpful in starting up a company, as business solutions consultants note. While broadband benefits firms with e-commerce setups, brick-and-mortar companies can also stand to benefit in terms of worker productivity—broadband access helps facilitate faster communication within the organization, even with those in the field or those telecommuting.