BEIJING, December 23 (Xinhuanet) -- British consumers seem to be addicted to new technology, according to Richard Patterson, the marketing director for Broadband-Expert, a site that researches, tests and compares broadband and mobile broadband packages. Recently an annual International Communications Market study from Ofcom found more Britons were staying at home and turning on their televisions and laptops during their time off.

    "The findings show that the UK population has been quick to adopt new technologies and has a love of gadgets," Patterson said. The research also found the trend could be driven partly by the fall in prices for digital communications packages. Such prices were likely to remain competitive, even after the economic slowdown, Patterson said. He said there would however be more of a focus on bundling products with a single provider.

    In many households in Britain, consumers have separate packages for satellite, mobile phone and Internet connections as well as landline phones. Multi-channel television packages are further complicated with several platforms; cable, freeview terrestial broadcasting, Sky's satellite package and the BBC's own satellite platform Freesat. This is likely to expand with the BBC's proposed video-on-demand service called Project Canvas. Though a set-top box viewers would be able to access the Internet as well as view programmes they had missed through their TV.

    The venture between the BBC, ITV, BT Group, Five, Channel 4 and mobile phone outlet Carphone Warehouse, would allow access to services by other major broadcasters. The set-top boxes are expected to cost about 200 pounds (319 U.S. dollars) and could be on sale next year. Users will also have access to websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Flickr via their televisions. Even e-mail could be used if keyboards were employed.

    (Agencies)