Expats 'use internet frequently'

Tuesday December 4th , 2007

Britons who are now living in countries such as Spain are using the internet to stay in touch with home, according to new research.

A study by Alliance & Leicester found that 63 per cent of expatriates (expats) went online at least once a day in order to talk to friends and family.

Most were said to have high-speed broadband connections, as well as optional extras such as webcams and Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

However, the web was also found to be widely used for other purposes too, such as banking and shopping.

Alliance & Leicester added that it was also people's main resource to keep abreast of the news, sport and weather.

Commenting on the findings, managing director Simon Hull said: "Our research shows that the internet has revolutionised the lives of expats, enabling them to go about their daily lives at the click of a button, any time of the day."

This comes after the Office for National Statistics revealed that a record number of Britons moved abroad last year.