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The Pew Internet research found that 62% of dial-up users had no interest in upgrading to a high-speed connection.

When asked what it would take to tempt them to switch, 35% said the price of broadband would have to fall, while almost a fifth said that nothing would tempt them to upgrade, suggesting many die-hard dial-up users simply

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don't see the need for the higher speeds that are available.

The availability of broadband is also a problem for many US users, with 14% saying they simply couldn't get broadband in their area. By contrast, BT claims that more than 99% of British households have access to broadband, although speeds remain a huge problem for those living in rural areas.

Predictably, the Pew study shows that low-income households and the elderly are the least likely to have a broadband connection, although the report claims that a person's attitude towards the benefits of technology in their lives is also a deciding factor.

"An older person may love to tinker with technology and enjoy the 'always on' information pipeline that broadband offers," the report claims. "A person in a low-income household may be willing to allocate scarce discretionary funds to broadband - if he feels the connectivity offers something of value."