If the UK hopes to remain at the top of the world league for broadband services, data centres in the country will have to be upgraded, an industry expert has warned.

Alex Rabbetts, the managing director of Migration Solutions, said that areas in the UK - especially London - will run out of data centre capacity by 2012 and this could mean that new broadband networks and services will not be able to be supported.

Recently, the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) called for targets to be introduced to ensure the UK remained "in the top quartile of countries' broadband penetration by 2012".

Mr Rabbetts added: "I agree with the target, but it will mean that data volumes are going to 'hockey stick' against the backdrop of a lack of data centre space in the capital, emerging environmental regulation that makes the construction of new space problematic and expensive.

"These factors will conspire to leave London with no spare data centre capacity for the growth envisaged by the BSG, or in the business plans of the network operators, Web 2.0 services providers and funds that have invested in them."

Recent research suggests that broadband use among small businesses in the UK is set to rise drastically in the next two years.