Britons want film downloads

Downloading DVD quality films quickly is the service Britons most want from next-generation broadband, according to research.

The survey was conducted by Broadband Choices in light of recent questions about how and when the UK should move to faster broadband services.

It found that more than two-thirds of the 1,027 people surveyed wanted to download DVD-quality films in five minutes. Less than half wanted the ability to download high-definition TV programmes.

However there was uncertainty about whether people would be prepared to pay extra for such services, with two-thirds saying that they would not, or that they are not sure.

Interestingly, the services people wanted most from next-generation broadband were the ones they spend the least time on. At the moment nearly a third of those surveyed spend 6-10 hours a week checking emails, but only a fifth spend an hour a week downloading films.

Broadband Choices product director Michael Phillips said: “The research certainly demonstrates an interest in future broadband services.

“From our results it appears a little contradictory that respondents rated watching TV or downloading films as accounting for the smallest amount of time spent on the internet in a week, and yet when asked which future service would be of most interest the same services were the most popular.

“I think this highlights the fact that the services offered to consumers are not at a high enough standard to warrant utilising them and that if speeds were improved, consumers would be more likely to use broadband to watch TV or download films,” he said.

His comments contrast with claims from UK broadband experts, reported by Computeractive earlier this week, that there was no need to push for next-generation broadband yet because there was not the demand for it.