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Plusnet expects internet to change lives by 2027
Broadband specialist Plusnet has claimed that smart internet could become ubiquitous in people's lives by 2027.
The service provider commissioned a report from futurist think tank the Centre for Future Studies, which found that the internet is likely to have a pervasive effect on daily life over the next fifteen years.
For example, online services are predicted to have a role to play in daily tasks like driving to work, having lunch and contacting friends - the report envisages apps being used in innovative ways to alter how these ordinary activities are carried out.
However, Plusnet pointed out that this may not be the reality for many people across the UK who still do not have access to super-fast broadband.
It claimed there are roughly 8.43 million adults in the UK who have never used the internet, indicating the depth of the problem facing attempts to expand broadband penetration across the UK and the need for local councils and broadband providers to work together to increase access.
Digitally challenged households face £560 of extra costs and charges annually as a result of missing out on online opportunities, the company alleged.
Plusnet chief executive officer Jamie Ford said helping people use the internet is key to the progress of technology in the UK.
"So far, the internet has been all about sharing, communicating and engaging with content online. The next 15 years will see an exciting transformation take place, where we integrate smart devices into the home and the net becomes much more about rich services," added Mr Ford.
The Office for National Statistics' report on internet access published in August 2011 suggested that 77 per cent of households in Britain had the ability to connect to the web, with 45 per cent of people using a mobile phone to connect to the internet.