As analysts wait on tenterhooks to establish the full impact of the global recession on the mobile phone industry, it seems that the UK's leading operators are keeping afloat through strong mobile broadband take up.

Figures from both O2 and T-Mobile for 2008 show increasing demand for mobile broadband service, emphasising its positive impact at a crucial economic time for mobile networks. O2's revenues showed a 10 per cent year-on-year increase to £6.26 million from 2007 to 2008, with growth ascribed to both mobile broadband uptake and the success of the iPhone, which is available exclusively from the carrier in the UK. T-Mobile, on the other hand, posted a 1.7 per cent decline in service revenue.

However, its contract customer base rose 4.5 per cent to 4.1 million, with mobile broadband device sales up 250 per cent year-on-year. The strong performance of the latter service could be attributed to T-Mobile's number one rank for mobile broadband performance by a recent independent study, as well as the successful launch of the T-Mobile G1 last year.

Jim Hyde, Chief Executive of T-Mobile UK, said: "T-Mobile has maintained its strategy of customer acquisition, focusing on its core contract customer base and other targeted segments including mobile broadband... Our new Life is for Sharing advertising campaign launched last month and sets us in good stead to significantly increase the value of our brand in 2009."

The broadband industry looks set to see rapid development in coming years as Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, announces that it will be "clearing the way" for investment in super-fast fixed-line broadband services across the country.