Scotland dominates a top ten league table of ADSL broadband take-up in counties around the UK. Aberdeenshire is in top slot with a take-up rate of 50.9 per cent, with Shetland just a fraction behind on 50.7 per cent.

Sitting in third place with 48.4 per cent is Stirling, closely followed by Aberdeen on 48.3 per cent. Moray completes the all-Scottish top five with 47.9 per cent, with the Welsh local authority of Monmouthshire coming sixth on 47.5 per cent. The next highest Scottish local authority is Highland, in 10th place with 45.8 per cent.

The Scottish national average is 33.3 per cent, ahead of the UK average of 31.2 per cent. BT now has 855,000 wholesale broadband connections in Scotland and more than 10.9 million across the UK, smashing its initial target of five million connections by the end of 2006.

ADSL BROADBAND TAKE-UP TOP TEN

1. Aberdeenshire 50.9 per cent
2. Shetland 50.7 per cent
3. Stirling 48.4 per cent
4. Aberdeen 48.3 per cent
5. Moray 47.9 per cent
6. Monmouthshire 47.5 per cent
7. Oxfordshire 46.8 per cent
8. (eq.) Scilly Isles, Flintshire 46.4 per cent
10. Highland 45.8 per cent