It is expected the addition of mobile 3G datacards and USB modems from Vodafone, 3 and O2 will add a significant number of broadband connections to the regulator's calculations, and may go some way to addressing the glaring urban-rural digital divide as revealed in the recently-released census figures.

Vodafone said it had sold around 30,000 HSDPA devices since its consumer launch in January, while 3 reported sales approaching 15,000 including laptop data cards and its own USB modem released in June.

O2, which launched its mobile broadband offering in early July, declined to release specific figures saying only that early sales had "exceeded expectations".

The attraction of mobile broadband devices in rural areas is that only a mobile phone signal is required to get online, rather than lineof-site to a transmitter for other kinds of wireless technologies. However questions remain over connection speeds as many areas do not have full high-speed 3G coverage.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show only 45,000, or 15%, of rural households had a broadband connection at the time of the census last year. The midlands scored worst with only 12% penetration.

Comreg's most up-to-date figures show 602,000 broadband subscriptions in Ireland up to June, an overall penetration rate of 14.2%. OECD figures . . . out of date according to the regulator . . . put the rate at 9.2%, placing Ireland 23rd out of 30 developed countries for connectivity.

Figures published by British communications regulator Ofcom last week indicated that half of all UK households have a high-speed internet connection.