Point-Topic has predicted that UK broadband lines will hit 21m by 2012, though growth is slowing, dropping to 600,000 new lines during the third quarter this year compared with 2006's figure of roughly 1m for the same period. Interestingly Q3 was one of 2007's better periods.

The shrinking pool of migrating dialup users is at least partly to blame, as is the inability to get remaining Internet have-nots connected. Some studies calculate that up to 40% of the UK's population fall into the have-not category.

Never the less, it's estimated that roughly 4% of the remaining households without Internet access will convert each year, pushing coverage up to 73% of homes (85% of businesses) by 2012.