The internet as a resource is now beginning to be seen as an essential utility, according to a representative for the Communications Consumer Panel.

Fiona Ballantyne, a member representing Scottish interests at the organisation, made her comments to the Joint Westminster eForum & Westminster Media Forum keynote seminar, Digital Britain.

She said that in terms of no-one missing out, "this is very much about pliability, easy-to-use services but also coming through from consumers quite strongly is the sense that access to broadband services is beginning to be seen as a right".

Furthermore, Ms Ballantyne added that there was the distinct possibility that the digital divide could deepen, with the gap not being so much between haves and have nots but "have-a-littles" and "have-a-lots".

The Communications Consumer Panel was founded as an independent policy advisory body under the Communications Act 2003, representing the interests of consumers in telecommunications, broadcasting and spectrum markets.

More than half of small businesses (53 per cent) believe that the most important benefit of outsourcing is guaranteed response times for IT support. London-based Connect conducted the research in 2007.