UK generally gets the rap for slow internet speeds and shallow penetration of broadband, but a new study conducted by Ofcom has given us
some reason for cheer. UK has been found to be the most digitally aware country in Europe. UK nationals now spend more time online than the people of other advanced countries. They are also more prone to use internet for performing activities such as watching television.
According to the study, Britons spend over 12 hours a week using internet. Only USA is ahead of UK in devoting more time online. UK is also leading in owning digital devices. 36 percent of the people in YK own a digital video recorder, beating Germany and France, where DVR penetration stands at 22 percent and 21 percent respectively.
UKers are still hooked to entertainment, though. However, now they are watching TV on their smartphones and tablets, rather than getting stuck with good old TV sets. Now, 27 percent of the people watch TV via internet. They are also shopping online. The survey suggests that an average Brit spends 84 minutes every month on visiting retail websites and 79 percent of these users actually went ahead and made the purchase online, giving a good fillip to e-commerce. Shopping through mobile phones is also catching on, as 10 percent of the users said that they visit shopping sites through their cell phones.
Ofcom report also points to the interesting phenomenon. James Thickett, Research Director with Ofcom, said, "Instead of one technology replacing another we are seeing people learning to simultaneously use different devices."