Brits can't live without broadband

19:00 19th December 2008

British consumers are feeling the squeeze of the credit crunch and have tightened their purses to contend with a diminishing disposable income.

Almost three-quarters of people questioned in a survey for BT said the financial crisis had prompted them to make savings but one area where Brits refused to make cuts - the internet - remained.

Shopping for new clothes and alcohol consumption were readily sacrificed but 57 per cent of respondents said they would not be cutting off their internet connection.

John Petter, managing director of BT's consumer division, commented: "Savvy savers have already worked out how they can use technology to their advantage, with almost half of people using their internet to search for bargains on comparison sites and one in six people starting to use their landline instead of their mobile."

Personal finance advisor and TV presenter Alvin Hall explained that the digitised nature of contemporary society meant that most people felt the need to have an internet connection to conduct their daily affairs.

Despite studying English and American literature, Alvin soon made a name for himself in the financial world and presented BBC2's Your Money or Your Life.