The Internet is now considered to be a household essential. Nearly two thirds (61 per cent) of homes couldn’t live without it, and almost half (47 per cent) spend three or more hours a day on the net compared to 3.8 hours watching TV.

Rather than switching off when they get home, people are logging on; shopping, ‘MySpacing’, paying bills, making phone calls and even watching TV through the Internet.

The research revealed that the nation as a whole is becoming more confident using the web for everything from making friends to eBay trading. It also shows that newer uses of home Internet are on the rise. Over a quarter (28 per cent) of UK homes are now using their broadband connection to make phone calls (VoIP) – saving them money on domestic and international calls and one in 10 (10 per cent) are shunning their TV sets to download and watch their favorite shows when they want.