Study says gigabit fibre broadband users spend more time online

Subscribers to 1Gbps fibre optic broadband services spend three times the daily average amount of time using the internet, according to new research.

A study released by the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council Americas, provided by Telecom Thinktank and market research firm RVA, also found that these customers typically have "relatively complex" home networks supporting five or more connected devices.

The report pointed out that the ability for individual subscribers to connect to the web at gigabit speeds is a "relatively new phenomenon".

Portugal's ZON, Telia in Sweden and Lafayette Utilities in the US are among the global telecoms firms to offer 1Gbps connectivity, while Hyperoptic claimed last October to be the first UK provider to allow gigabit download speeds.

Heather Burnett Gold, president of the FTTH Council Americas, said people who subscribe to these fibre optic broadband packages use multiple applications simultaneously.

"What many people might not expect is that gigabit service is already available in a number of locations throughout the world," she added.