12 March 2008
According to research that looked into the downloading habits of the nation, commissioned by MoneySupermarket, we are a nation of download addicts. Eight in ten (80%) of us Brits have downloaded from the Internet in the last 12 months.
The results show that while the 18 to 34 year olds remain the key downloading demographic (89%), they are closely being followed by those aged over 55, who are catching up with 71% of them downloading from the Internet.
Findings identified that the most commonly downloaded files are music (50%) followed by software updates (46%), photos (26%) and games (26 per cent). The findings also showed that men are still in the lead when it comes to downloading.
Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, said:
Our research reveals people’s appetite for downloading has grown and is now an everyday occurrence. This is a trend that is likely to continue as websites such as You Tube and on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer become more popular.
It’s great to see the older generations are embracing technology and becoming accustomed to the Internet and downloading - it won’t be long until they catch up with the more tech savvy twenty something’s!
The majority of people choose to download on their home computer, although employers should be aware that 6% admit they do all of their downloading at work. The research showed that one in ten (11%) people downloaded between 21 and 100 files a month, with an average monthly spend of £12.83.
Barnes continues:
This massive increase in downloading also partly explains why broadband packages with unlimited download capacities are hugely popular amongst consumers. However, it’s important to remember a truly unlimited download capacity is now almost a myth. Most providers have a fair usage policy in place, meaning they can implement measures to control how much you download if they feel you’re downloading too much material too often.
Keep up to date with industry and Nomensa news by signing up to Nomensa newsletters.
