How many adults have not been online as yet?
The number has shrunk to 7.1m (it previously stood at 7.42m) from the final quarter of last year to Q1 of 2013. The data also shows that men are 4 per cent more likely to surf the web than women. In addition, age plays an important role in being able to access the web. The data shows that perhaps unsurprisingly 99 per cent of people aged 16-24 have been online and the number shrinks dramatically when considering the 75+ group of which only 34 per cent has gone online.

What other factors prevent people from going online?
A major obstacle is having a disability and not having access to special equipment which makes surfing the web easier. Roughly 3.7m revealed that they couldn’t go online mainly because they had a disability. The number represents more than half of the 7.1m who haven’t accessed the web.

Another reason is income. Not all families can afford a broadband service as yet. According to the results, roughly 284,000 of respondents said that because they earned less than £200, getting an internet service was not prioritised. But nearly all (98 per cent) of those earning £500 or more said they were using a broadband service.

What is the most connected place in the UK?
London remains the super-connected hub in the UK with 90 per cent of the population using broadband. Northern Ireland is the region with the lowest number of people connected to the web at 79 per cent. It’s fair to say that more and more users are embracing the digital world and it slowly becomes a part of everyone’s life.

We can help you get a good broadband service
Our friendly advisers can help you choose a great internet bundle which can save you hundreds per year. Call them on 0808 256 6606 and they will explain everything jargon-free about the broadband services that are available in your area so that you and your family could benefit from a service that is tailored to your needs.

What does this mean for consumers?
Consumers who’d like a taste of how it feels to have broadband speeds of up to 76Mbps can sign up for one of EE’s deals and trial the service for free. If you try the service and find that you don’t require such high speeds, you can save by downgrading to ADSL or slightly slower fibre speeds of 38Mbps. Equally, customers can upgrade from the entry level fibre product to the faster ones.

What EE fibre broadband deals can I choose from?
There are three fibre optic broadband deals currently offered by EE. Choose from the following:

Fibre Broadband 1
This is the cheapest of the three. It has a monthly data allowance of 40GB and will give you access to speeds of up to 38Mbps. It’s free for 3 months and costs £15 thereafter. Line rental is payable throughout the duration of the contract.

Fibre Broadband 2
This package is a bit more advanced than the previous. It has an unlimited monthly data allowance and will give you access to speeds of up to 38Mbps. It’s free for 3 months and costs £20 thereafter. Line rental is payable throughout the duration of the contract.

Fibre Broadband 3
This package is EE’s  fibre heavy-weight. It has an unlimited monthly data allowance and will give you access to speeds of up to 76Mbps. It’s free for 3 months and costs £25 thereafter. Line rental is payable throughout the duration of the contract.

How long is the contract?
Customers are required to sign an 18 month contract.

Are phone services included?
Yes, customers can enjoy free off peak calls to UK landlines.

I want to know more about these packages
Give one of our friendly advisers a call on 0808 256 6606 and they will be more than happy to guide you through all the details about these packages. They can also explain what other offers are available at your address so that you could switch to a deal that’s right for you today.

If you use the internet on a PC, laptop or internet-connected device, you have an IP address. This is the unique online identifier for your device, it allows you to receive and send information from your device, like receiving a letter through your post box.

Most broadband providers dish out IP addresses via a long-standing technology called IPv4. It’s been used for a really long time, and the number of unique addresses available is running out. Internet service providers need to find a solution, so that we can continue to use the internet happily without having trouble sending or receiving information.

IPv6, the latest technology, has plenty of IP addresses available, and many online experts are calling for broadband providers to begin switching users over to IPv6 in 2013, to combat the shortage of addresses. Despite IPv6 being around for a while, it isn’t being implemented widely across the web yet, so what are broadband providers to do?

BT and PlusNet have responded to the shortage of addresses by trialing an IP address sharing service for selected customers who take out specific packages. The service allows up to 9 different users to share the same address, thus reducing the amount of new addresses required for the group to get online. This is called CGNAT, and you can find out more on the CGNAT Wikipedia page, or by reading the helpful article on Tech Week Europe.

There are some disadvantages for those that rely on a unique IP address to share content online, for instance – if you upload your own content to the internet, or you take part in online games tournaments.

What should I do if I may be affected?

Only a very limited number of customers are involved in these early trials. If you are an existing BT Option 1 Total Broadband customer, or you are or PlusNet customer and you’re curious whether you’re included in the test, give their customer services team a call and ask them to confirm whether or not your service has been affected.

TalkTalk Essentials
If you go for this cheap broadband deal today via the web, you will get 12 months half price broadband, a free wireless router, and a free connection. You can also choose the provider’s line rental saver option which will allow you to pay only £9.50 a month on top of your broadband bill – this is one of the best value deals on the market.

Virgin Media’s Broadband 30Mb & Phone Size: M
You can get this deal free for six months as well as a free install. Enjoy superfast speeds of up to 30Mbps and inclusive daytime, evening and weekend calls. Please note that the line rental fee is payable througout the entire contract. You will be expected to pay the standard price after the promotional six months.

Sky’s Broadband Unlimited & Talk Weekends (Without TV)
Get Sky’s Totally Unlimited Broadband free for 6 months if you hurry and place your order today. The service comes with Sky’s best ever router the Sky Hub as well as free and unlimited access to Sky’s wireless operator, the Cloud, when you are out and about.

What’s the right cheap broadband deal for me?
Found a great broadband deal but you are not sure it’s the right one for you? Ask us! Our experts are available seven days a week on 0808 256 6606 and will be more than happy to give you advice on broadband, home phone and digital TV services. Call us today.

Which devices should I consider?
You can choose from an array of web-enabled devices available in store on online. These include TVs, laptops, desktop PCs, radios, tablets, mobile phones or cameras. Make sure you save your receipt or web confirmation of purchase.

What John Lewis Broadband deal can I get?
The broadband provider currently has three deals on offer. These are:

Standard broadband: great for light broadband users on a budget

Unlimited broadband: the perfect package for heavy downloaders as it comes with unlimited monthly usage

Fibre Broadband: a great superfast broadband deal for those who never want to see the buffering sign again.

What should I do next?
Now that you have chosen the items you want to purchase, you can place your broadband order and the code JLB6 as well as your reference number on your receipt or web-order email confirmation.

Is John Lewis Broadband for me?
Call our independent team of experts on 0808 256 6606 and they will help you find the perfect broadband deal from John Lewis today.

This means that customers will be able to stream quite a few new channels, these include SyFy, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, MTV, Quest and Dmax among many others.

There is no need to be tied to your TV set either as the channels are accessible via a wide range of devices, including tablet computers, laptops and smartphones.

Scott Kewley, Virgin Media’s multiscreen product director, said:

“We know our customers love being able to watch whatever they want at a time that suits them, and by adding 21 live channels to Virgin TV Anywhere at no extra cost we’re also enabling them to watch their favourite shows wherever they want too. Whether our customers are looking for something to keep the kids happy, an enthralling drama or a cutting-edge documentary, the new line-up on Virgin TV Anywhere really does have something for everyone.”

In other news, Virgin Media is busy blanketing the London Underground with its Wi-Fi services. O2 mobile customers are the latest batch to be able to use the service for free, from this summer onwards.

I want a Virgin Media broadband bundle
Here’s our pick of this week: Virgin Media Broadband 60Mb
Order today and you will receive a £20 bill credit on this package. The deal also comes with a free wireless router. If you decide to take line rental services from Virgin Media as well, you will receive free installation; this normally costs £49.95. Any questions? Ask our friendly advisers by calling 0808 256 6606. They will explain everything there is to know about Virgin Media and any other provider you’d like to switch or sign up to.

Rural broadband
The study found that 60 per cent of rural locations could only get speeds below 2Mbps, 32 per cent were connected to a service which could achieve speeds above 2Mbps and 6 per cent were still using old-fashioned dialup services. What’s more, 2 per cent had no access to the internet at all. Half of those surveyed suggested that faster broadband would boost the number of farmers using computers.

Why is it difficult to get broadband in rural areas?
There are a number of reasons. Complex geography – hills, mountains, lakes and dense forests all make it all the more difficult for broadband providers to reach isolated areas. Another reason is that it may not be economically viable for internet service suppliers to stretch their services for a potentially small number of customers.

How do I get broadband in a rural area?
The best solution is satellite broadband. Providers such as Tooway are becoming increasingly popular as this type of broadband is available virtually anywhere because of its advanced satellite-based technology. What’s also great about it is that it has become a lot cheaper than it once was.

What are good satellite broadband deals?
Here’s our top pick: Tooway L
This satellite broadband deal comes with download speeds of up to 20Mbps, a 20GB download allowance and unlimited off-peak usage overnight (from 11pm to 7am). You can install the service yourself and save £124.95 from your set up costs. There is also an option to have an engineer coming over and setting up the equipment for you for that extra fee.

Is Tooway right for me?
There are thousands of deals to choose from – let us help you find the right one. Simply call us on 0808 256 6606 and we will help you find, compare, switch or sign up to a broadband package that’s right for you.

Who took part in the survey?
More than 900 customers, who signed up to a new deal within the last 12 months, have revealed to Simplifydigital what they really thought about their broadband, digital TV and home phone services and how they felt before, during and after the installation process.

What Simplifydigital found
55% of UK consumers who took part in the survey didn’t know whether their broadband connection was above or below the UK average as they hadn’t used a broadband speed test tool for the past six months.

The findings also highlighted that 87 per cent of respondents opted to bundle their services from a single provider which allowed a further 26 per cent to save as much as £278 per year on their broadband, home phone and digital TV services.

Other stats showed a general customer satisfaction with their broadband services with 86 per cent stating they were generally satisfied with their provider, while 90 per cent were satisfied with their broadband speeds.

Charlie Ponsonby, CEO of Simplifydigital, comments:
“Every year we talk to our customers to understand their views on the TV, broadband and home phone packages that they have bought through our team of independent experts – and the good news is that they are broadly very happy with their new choices, reflecting the significant ongoing investment in service delivery by UK service providers”.

Are you satisfied with your broadband bundle?
If you feel that you could be getting a better service but are not sure which provider to go for, ask one of our friendly independent advisers. Simply call them on 0808 256 6606 and they will be more than happy to help you find, compare, sign up or switch to a deal that’s right for you.

The awards aim to make consumers aware of which suppliers provide the best value for money and quality of service.

Who voted in the Customer Choice Awards 2013?
Simplifydigital asked more than 900 of its customers, who moved to a new broadband deal within the last 12 months using its unique free, independent telephone Switching Service, for their honest opinions. Simplifydigital’s data team was delighted to find that the vast majority – 86% – of customers were generally satisfied with their broadband provider.

Here are the winners of Simplifydigital’s Customer Choice Awards 2013:

• Best Value Broadband:  Plusnet
• Best Superfast Broadband: Virgin Media
• Best Premium TV, Broadband & Phone: Virgin Media
• Best Digital TV Provider: Sky
• Best Value TV, Broadband & Phone: Sky
• Simplifydigital 2013 Innovation Award: TalkTalk TV

Charlie Ponsonby, CEO of Simplifydigital, commented on the results of the third and biggest Customer Choice Awards:

“Every year we talk to our customers to understand their views on the TV, broadband and home phone packages that they have bought through our team of independent experts – and the good news is that they are broadly very happy with their new choices, reflecting the significant ongoing investment in service delivery by UK service providers”.

Are you using an award-winning service? If not, switch now!
Ask one of Simplifydigital’s independent experts what is the right broadband provider for you. Simply call them on 0808 256 6606 and they will be more than happy to help you find, compare, sign up or switch to a package that’s tailored made for you and your family.

Here are our top picks of the best new broadband and phone bundles which you can sign up or switch to today:

Sky Broadband Unlimited & Talk Weekends with Line Rental (Without TV)
If you order today, you will get Totally Unlimited Broadband free for 6 months – that’s half a year’s worth of free broadband! The offer comes with free activation, free access to The Cloud, a popular wireless operator which customers can already access from the top high street stores, as well as Sky’s best ever Wi-Fi router, Sky Hub.

Virgin Media’s Broadband 30Mb & Phone Size: M
This is a great broadband deal for families who are keen on superfast speeds as this bundle will give customers access to download speeds of up to 30Mbps. What’s more, you can get a £14.50 discount for 6 months. You will also get Virgin Media’s freshest wireless router for free and a complementary install.

TalkTalk Essentials
If you order this deal online today, you will get three months free broadband, a free wireless router as well as a free connection. You will also get a Love2Shop voucher worth £25 – always handy. Enjoy speeds of up to 14Mbps as well as inclusive unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK landlines.

What’s the right broadband deal for me?
If you are not sure which bundle is right for you, why not just ask one of our independent advisers? Simply call us on 0808 256 6606 and our friendly support team will help you find, compare, switch and sign up to a broadband and phone deal that works for you!