More rural households now have a broadband internet connection than those in towns, according to a new report.

In its Regional Communications Market report, media regulator Ofcom found that 59 per cent of rural households have broadband, compared to 57 per cent of urban homes.

Ofcom called the findings “unexpected”, saying the report signalled the end of fears of a “digital divide” between the two areas.

Peter Phillips, Ofcom's strategy and market developments partner, said: " Initial broadband take-up was typically by young urban homes, which is similar to the take-up of many new technologies.

"I don't think anyone would have predicted two or three years ago that we would have seen the picture that we can see today.”

The report suggests that much of the demand for broadband in rural areas is driven by the need for online shopping, banking and communication.

Ofcom said buying goods online is more popular in rural areas as they do not have the well-stocked high streets found in urban areas. It also said people in rural areas were also more likely to watch films or television online because other forms of entertainment, such as live music, theatre and cinema, were not as widely available.

“In total, about three-quarters of rural internet users say they use the internet for transactions as well as for information whereas for the UK as a whole it's lower than that, it's about 69 per cent,” said Phillips.

Sunderland was found to be the UK's digital capital, with two thirds of households having broadband and nearly all (96 per cent) using digital television. Glasgow has the lowest take-up of broadband in the UK with just over a third of households saying they had a high-speed internet connection. Ofcom said this was because many homes in this area had low levels of household income and computer ownership.

The Highlands and Islands were found to be top of the broadband scale with two thirds of homes having the service. Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee were also described as being “well ahead of the UK average” in terms of broadband access.

It’s not just broadband that has grown in terms of popularity. The report also found that a fifth of all UK households have no landline telephone and rely entirely on a mobile phone.