HAVE YOURSELF A VIRTUAL MERRY CHRISTMAS

With 90 per cent of Brits having a home broadband connection weare all set for a virtual Christmas this year, according to new research fromBroadbandChoices.co.uk, so don t be surprised to see families glued to the computerscreen while discovering empty stockings under the fireplace.

According to new research from BroadbandChoices.co.uk, 46 per cent of consumers usethe internet to download music, so it s likely that this years CD Christmas albumwill be struck off the Christmas wish list, leaving our stockings looking more virtual than ever before. Surprisingly research also found that more women thenmen use the internet to play games, so there could be sibling rivalry to downloadthe latest game.

But there s hope yet for Father Christmas to fill those stockings, as shoppers areset to spend more time than ever shopping online in the run up to Christmas. Internet users are spending on average some six to ten hours a week shopping online.The market share of visits to shopping websites has increased by 48 per cent sincelast December (source: IMRG).

And if you are one of the many shopping for gifts online, don t expect to buy yourgrandparents the usual drab board game, or to see them participating in thetraditional game of Scrabble or Monopoly, as 38 per cent of the over 65 s now spendtime playing online games.

Michael Phillips, product director of BroadbandChoices.co.uk commented, With moreof us downloading music and games during the Christmas period, consumers need to beaware of how much they are downloading, since even if they have an unlimited broadband package it is still often capped by the service provider. Most companieswho sell an unlimited service also have a fair usage policy , which imposeslimits on a user s downloading of data, music, movies and photos etc.

It may be a good idea to monitor your usage by downloading a usage meter (there isa free usage meter available onhttp://www.broadbandchoices .co.uk/broadband-download-moni tor.html). This will helpensure you don t breach your limits.

Michael Phillips, concluded, However, if you are only checking e-mails, surfing theweb and shopping on line then we would advise customers to switch to a light user package since they will only be using a couple of gigabytes of data in a month anddon t need to over-spend on luxury unlimited packages.

But the big question is: are we going to be able to escape the pressures of workthis Christmas? Not a chance - BroadbandChoices.co.uk has also found that most ofus will be spending around six to ten hours a week checking our emails enough timeto cook more than three Christmas roasts over the 12 days of Christmas7. A virtualChristmas we may all want to escape.

- Ends -

Notes to editor:

Overview of BroadbandChoices.co.uk survey results (carried out by ICM research,December 2007) based on a survey of 1027 respondents:

46 per cent of respondents use the internet to download music / Figures compiledby the British Phonographic Industry (November 2007) back up this finding and showthat 6.5m fewer albums have been sold this year compared with 2006. It has alsofound that the digital market continues to grow - with a 50% increase in digitalsingle purchases in the first six months of 2007. 98 per cent of respondents use the internet to shop and bank online, of those thelargest group, 27 per cent spend six to ten hours a week on the activity 100 per cent of respondents use the internet to check emails, of those the highestamount, 28 per cent spend six ten hours on the activity 38 per cent of the over 65 s use the internet to play online games 54 per cent of women use the internet to play online games compared to 42 per centof men6 9 out of 10 Brits now have an internet connection at home (Source: Office ofNational Statistics -November 2007)7 6 to 10 hours a week emailing = average of 8 hours a week = average of 1.14 hoursa day = 13.7 hours in 12 days. Roast turkey cooking times based on a 4.5kg bird at18 minutes per 450g with resting time. NB cooking times may vary.

Top light user packages:

 PlusNet Option 1 8Mb (1GB download limit) 9.99 per month (no set up feeand free 1 port router) Eclipse Option 1 8Mb (2GB download limit) 14.99 per month (1 month freeif switching / free modem / excellent customer service) Tesco Broadband Value 512K (3GB download limit) 13.97 per month (freemodem/set up)

Customers can monitor their usage by downloading a usage meter (there is a freeusage meter available onhttp://www.broadbandchoices .co.uk/broadband-download-moni tor.html)

About BroadbandChoices.co.uk: http://www.BroadbandChoices.co .ukBroadbandChoices.co.uk is a broadband comparison service in the UK. Unlike othercomparison sites, BroadbandChoices.co.uk doesn t just focus on price but totalpackage value. Consumers can now refer to this impartial Website to access thelatest broadband advice and deals, to help them make the right choice.

What makes BroadbandChoices.co.uk different:  Most comprehensive range of consumer guides and advice  Emphasis on value rather than cost alone Variety of ways to rank products according to individual priorities Detailed product information A community of like minded people where you can read reviews or share yourthoughts Up-to-date information regarding key industry developments Access to bespoke interactive tools

Source: Express-Press-Release.com

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