Research released today from thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent broadband news and information site, has revealed 46 per cent of people would sacrifice their gym membership rather than their internet connection.

When asked what expenses they would be willing to cut back on, keeping fit topped the list with eating out (21 per cent) and television (17 per cent) making up the top three.

Of the 1,125 British consumers polled, only five per cent answered they would be happy to scale back on their broadband services, clearly reflecting the importance a strong broadband connection is to modern day Britain.

It may not be surprising to learn the only option respondents weren’t willing to sacrifice above their broadband, was their mobile phone spends, with just four per cent of consumers choosing this option. With recent statistics showing that 40 million people in the UK used their mobile device for internet access on a daily basis in 2015, it is easy to understand why.

Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of thinkbroadband.com believes the results echo the thoughts of the British public, “The results of this survey clearly demonstrate the importance of broadband to the nation. Being so heavily involved in this industry gives you an insight into the thoughts and concerns of UK consumers. Broadband has become an integral part of British society, and not just for browsing and downloading media at home.”

The British government recently hit their target of 90 per cent superfast broadband availability in the UK, however there is still work to be done, “When one takes a dispassionate overview of the state of UK broadband it is actually in a fairly healthy state and ultrafast speeds of 200 Mbps or faster are starting to become more widely available. However, for any individuals in pockets up and down the country, things are much patchier.

“These survey results echo the trends we are seeing across the industry, with expectations changing vastly since the BDUK roll out began, including the proportion of MPs’ correspondence that now appears to be about broadband issues. The case in point being the one in ten who still can’t access superfast broadband or in some cases have no broadband at all, are becoming increasingly desperate for it. Earlier this year, the Queen mentioned in her address to the nation her promise to create the right for high-speed broadband in every household.”