Online advertising in the United Kingdom surpassed TV ads in 2007, occupying 19 percent of the total market, Gipp.ru reported Thursday.

Last year, Internet ad expenditure grew by 40 percent to reach £2.8 billion, according to data from Ofcom, the body that regulates the telecommunications industry.

On the other hand, expenditure on broadcast TV advertising has declined. Six years ago, it took up 83 percent of total advertising spending. However, this year, the figure has dropped by 16 percent, to £2.3 billion, Gipp.ru reported.

In 2007, a total of £3.5 billion was spent on all TV advertising, a third of which was used for digital TV channels, according to Gipp.ru.

The time that people in Britain spend online has quadrupled from 2002 to 2007, reaching 24 minutes per day. The Ofcom study also showed that mobile phone usage has doubled.