The aim of the government in its new internet strategy is to provide people with the choice to use the internet and not simply force people who are not online to use it, one expert has said.

Edd Dawson, the managing director at broadband.co.uk, said that it was all an issue of geography, allowing people to get the internet wherever they are in the UK without any problems.

He asserted that there will hopefully be total parity between a person living in a city centre and another individual on a remote island in the UK.

Mr Dawson concluded: "If someone lives in a remote area and can't get broadband and they want it, they are going to be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to work - there are more and more cases of people working remotely."

According to a recent survey by the Communications Consumer Panel published this month, 81 per cent agreed it is everyone's right to be able to have broadband at home.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).