» ADSL bonding could profit from broadband boom

ADSL market experiences 100-fold growth

The potential market for ADSL bonding shows no signs of diminishing if the latest figures are anything to go by.

According to telecoms giant BT, the UK has 14 million ADSL broadband customers as opposed to just 135,000 in 2002.

To put this into some kind of context, there are now more than 100 times more ADSL users than seven years ago.

BT published the figures after announcing that it had become the first UK internet service provider to rack up 5 million customers.

John Petter, managing director of BT's consumer division, said the company was "thrilled" to have passed the milestone.

He added: "Broadband has the ability to transform people's lives and the fact that we are still showing strong take-up when there are more than 14 million ADSL broadband customers in the UK is testament to the unique benefits of being connected."

Going forward, Mr Petter predicted that broadband uptake could be further boosted by the increasing profile of online video.

And he said that Project Canvas – a video-on-demand project involving BT, the BBC, ITV, Channel Four and others – could have a "transformational effect" when it launches in 2010.

Companies in need of more powerful ADSL connections may wish to consider upgrading to a bonded solution.

In a nutshell, ADSL bonding allows business customers to boost download rates without needing to switch from existing copper telephone lines.

It enables them to get faster download than upload speeds because the connection is asymmetric, making it the ideal choice for organisations that regularly access rich media such as video.