More than a million homes in the UK will hook up broadband this year, amid signs that the UK is finally becoming a broadband nation.

At the end of 2002, 1.6m UK households had signed up to broadband. This year, a further 1.3m people are expected to get broadband, bringing the total number to just under 3m by the end of 2003.

Looking ahead, researchers Strategy Analytics reckon take-up will accelerate over the coming years with 10.5m - or a third of households - with broadband connections in place by 2008.

By this time, researchers reckon that DSL services will make up around 65 per cent of broadband lines, with cable making up around 31 per cent.

In the UK at the moment the split between DSL and cable services is neck and neck.

Strategy Analytics also pointed out that the UK has the second largest European broadband nation (in terms of numbers) behind Germany but ahead of France. ®