Broadband has become a vital driver of the UK economy and an enabler for a wide range of IT services. As telecoms firms move increasingly to IP networking, the world of communications and computers is finally converging.

We look back at the top stories in telecoms and broadband from 2007.

Click on the headlines to read the full story.

January

Growth of UK broadband connections slows

UK broadband connections are rose less quickly in 2006 than in 2005, according to research firm Point Topic.

Overall the connection level for the country's homes and businesses rose by 3.1 million to 13.1 million overall, 20 per cent lower than in 2005.

Telecom carriers at risk from the IP revolution

Over half of leading telecom carriers will not survive the IP revolution, according to analyst Gartner.

Mobile broadband, Internet Protocol (IP) technology and the aim to become full-service providers are driving telecom carriers to build non-core business units and over-investing in immature technologies.

February

Surrey County Council awards £18m telecoms contract

Surrey County Council has awarded an £18m contract to Cable & Wireless to supply managed telecoms services until 2013.

The agreement will commence in March 2008 and is an extension to an existing contract with the supplier signed in October 2001. It is the second time the contract has been extended.

The scope of the work includes managing the Surrey wide area network (Swan) and associated local area networks connecting over 24,000 people across 1,000 sites.

Twelve live in BT Wireless Cities programme

Telecoms giant BT has hit its target to provide wireless broadband access in 12 UK city centres.

Originally scheduled to go live March, five new Wireless City deployments went ahead this week in Sheffield, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Glasgow.

March

Broadband fling for Highlands

Scotland’s Highland Council has launched a £70m two-year investment programme to deliver broadband connections to its rural areas.

The Highlands and Islands Pathfinder project will provide broadband internet access to 850 public buildings including schools, local government and health services.

April

UK broadband needs help

The government must take action to ensure the UK's high-speed communications infrastructure meets future needs, says the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG).

Next-generation networks are critical to economic competitiveness but there is little prospect of the necessary upgrades being delivered by the current market structure, says the BSG annual report.

City of London turns on WiFi

Europe's most advanced outdoor WiFi network was switched on across the City of London on Monday.

More than 350,000 people who work in and visit the Square Mile area of the capital now have wireless broadband access.

May

Digital divide is narrowing in the UK

The geographic and age-related digital divide in the UK is disappearing, according to new figures from communications watchdog Ofcom.

The gap between the highest and lowest broadband-using countries has narrowed to just three percentage points from 12 points last year. Adoption of high-speed internet communications is highest in England at 45 per cent, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all at 42 per cent. Last year Wales and Northern Ireland trailed with 24 and 25 per cent respectively, to England’s 36 per cent, with 31 per cent takeup in Scotland.