BROADBAND has become one of the fastest-selling products of all time, with 156,000 people and businesses – 21.5 per cent – taking it up in Kent and Medway alone.

According to BT, the South East has the highest number of subscribers – 880,000 (23.8 per cent) out of a total of five million across the UK.

Broadband growth is faster than initial sales of televisions, CD players, video recorders and mobile phones.

The milestone was reached a year earlier than expected. The latest million connections came in just four months and BT is connecting a customer every 10 seconds, around the clock.

Despite Kent’s rapid rate of growth, other counties have been even quicker off the mark, with 27.5 per cent take-up in Berkshire, 30.5 per cent in Buckinghamshire and 22.3 per cent in East Sussex.

BT defines take-up as the percentage of homes and businesses that have access to broadband services and are using them.

Patricia Vaz, BT regional director for the South East, said: "This region is now in the fast lane towards a high-speed digital future. By this summer, BT will have brought broadband to exchanges serving virtually all of the households and businesses in the region (99.9 per cent), which is tremendous news for the people living and working in the South East.

"But the journey is not over. As we move forward, we have to ensure everyone in the region is logging on and unlocking the huge potential of broadband communications, which offers people a wealth of new business, leisure, entertainment and education opportunities to explore."

BT estimates that the UK economy could be boosted by up to £7.5 billion through productivity gains attributed to broadband.

Patricia Vaz praised Kent County Council and other agencies for raising public awareness of the benefits of broadband.

In particular, KCC’s partnership with Kent Business, the Kent Messenger Group’s business monthly, is credited with transforming the situation.