Nearly nine out of 10 UK internet connections are now broadband rather than dial-up, according to official figures published today.

By June, 86.1 per cent of UK connections were high-speed and always-on, compared with 83.6 per cent in March 2006, says the Office of National Statistics.

The proportion of internet connections using broadband has nearly doubled since the ONS started tracking the issue in March 2005. And by June this year only 13 per cent of connections still used dial-up.

More than half of UK households have domestic broadband access, according to figures from regulator Ofcom earlier this week. Competition between broadband providers is also driving up connection speeds.