Europe - 43% of households lack an Internet connection, one in five gave the reason as cost

[broadband finder] Almost half (43 per cent) of households in Europe do not have an internet connection, according to a new report.

The European Commission's Eurobarometer survey has found that nearly one in five households surveyed cited cost as the main reason why they were unconnected.

However, many also said they were simply not interested in being online.

Cost concerns among households that are already online may have been driving some of the trends uncovered by the report.

Bundled packages have risen in popularity, with more than a third (38 per cent) of households using the packages to reduce monthly costs.

Connected homes cited a range of worries about their broadband packages - some 36 per cent said that their service suffered regular breakdowns.

Around a fifth had been unable to access applications and content by their internet service provider.

The survey backs up the Commission's Digital Agenda goals, announced earlier this year.

The Commission is aiming for all households in the European Union to have speeds of up to 30Mbps.

It argues that: "Very fast internet is essential for the economy to grow strongly, to create jobs and prosperity, and to ensure citizens can access the content and services they want."

Digital divide in EU down to cost?