Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 January 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 January 2000. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Monday, 24 January 2000 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the amount of telephone traffic going via the internet; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figure.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the amount of telephone traffic going via the internet; and if he will make a statement. [106718] Ms Hewitt: Current estimates are that no more than 1 per cent. of voice telephony traffic globally is carried over the internet. But an increasing proportion of all telecommunications traffic consists of internet data. According to OFTEL, the UK Telecommunications regulator, the current proportion in the UK is around 25 per cent. of all telecommunications traffic.

Secondary information