Free ISPs play second fiddle to broadband – chello

chello, the broadband people from Holland who've yet to set up shop in Britain, has conducted Europe's first study into broadband Net usage patterns. The survey of some 3,500 users showed that people spent 72 hours a month online using broadband services, as opposed to 36 hours a month for dial-up access. People also dip into broadband service four times a day -- twice as much as for normal dial-up services. What's more, once online, broadband users spend 67 per cent more money than those who access the Net using slow copper wires. "Contrary to much current perception, the future of the Internet is not the free ISP, but broadband Internet," said Iain Osborne, of chello. "Broadband Internet is a value proposition that you have to experience to truly understand. 'Always on' completely filters how you think of the Internet once you get used to it just being there," he said. chello is rumoured to announce on Monday its intention to float, but that's a secret so shush, OK?. ®