Digital television is spreading across the UK much faster than in France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan and the US, according to communications regulator/watchdog, Ofcom.

Ofcom’s said that around 86 percent of UK homes have the ability to receive digital TV on their main television, while around 30 percent have digital video recorders. Ofcom also showed that British consumers currently pay much less than people in other countries, for TV mobile and broadband services. The report also said that people in Ireland send the most text messages – sending twice as many as the UK.

The reports from the International Communications Market looked at a series of different technologies across the world, and found that the US is leading the way in internet use, with Americans spending an average of 15 hours per week online. The UK was just behind with 14 hours of net use per week.

The research also found that:

• Across the entire world, average broadband take-up was 56% of households in 2007. Britain came in at 60%.

• The UK has more HD televisions sets per capita than anywhere else in Europe, but much less than the US and Canada.

• In emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, mobile phone use is on a massive increase with 216 million new mobile contracts signed in 2007.

• China added 88 million mobile phone contracts last year, higher than the population of the UK.

The digital switchover will occur in 2012, when analogue television will be turned off for the last time. Already Whitehaven in Cumbria has made the full switch, back in October 2007.

Ofcom said that British consumers get a great deal when it comes to technology, especially when the get multi-packages that include mobile, TV, and broadband subscriptions from one supplier.