Uptake of broadband connection in the Midlands remains low compared to other regions, according to figures released by the CSO on Friday.
The report on the use of information and communications technology (ICT ) for 2008 found that just 27 per cent of homes in the Border, Midlands and West (BMW ) region had a broadband connection to the internet last year, compared to 49 per cent of households in the South East (SE ) region.
Of those who had an internet connection but not a broadband connection in the BMW region, over 67 per cent indicated that broadband was not available in their area, compared to 40 per cent in the SE region.
Homes in the BMW region were also less likely to have a home computer. While 73 per cent of households in the SE region owned a computer, just 63 per cent did in the BMW region.
Ownership of computers is on the rise nationally, however. Over one million households had a home computer in the first quarter of 2008, compared to 745,000 in the third quarter of 2005.
In excess of 92 per cent of people aged 16-24 have used a computer, while just 1 per cent of those aged 65-74 indicated that they had used a computer. More than 1.5 million people indicated that they used a computer every day or almost every day.
