Britain goes digital
p2pnet.net News:- The UK is going digital with more people using digital services and mp3s and DVDs, says a new UK report.
Broadband is currently available to 88.7% of households and take-up is growing rapidly, says Ofcom, the regulator for UK communications industries.
In its Communications Market 2004 report on key trends within the radio, television and telecommunications sectors in 2003-4, it says UK consumers are dedicating more time to going online and using electronic media and communications services.
There are now almost 50,000 new broadband subscribers every week (DSL and cable), up from around 40,000 additions a week in late 2003, states the report, continuing that the total number of UK broadband subscribers is now similar to the number in France and Germany and, "Ofcom estimates that the 5 million broadband subscriber milestone will be passed in mid-September 2004".
More than a third of internet households now have a broadband connection and dial-ups are declining more slowly than the increase in broadband connections.
"More consumers with no prior internet connection are going straight to broadband for their first experience of being online at home," says the report.
Between 1999 and 2003 time spent online increased eight-fold (average of 2 hours a week on dial-up in 1999 to a reported 16 hours a week in broadband households in mid 2004).
Tuning in
DAB digital radio covers over 85% of the UK population, with local services available in 47 areas. Digital radio via other platforms such as digital television or the internet is available across the whole UK.
Radio listening increased by 6% (41.2 hours per household per week to 43.5 hours) and TV viewing went up by 2% (25.6 hours per household per week to 26.1 hours).
There are 130 commercial DAB digital radio stations, of which 32 are digital only; and14 stations previously only available in one region on analogue are now also available on digital in additional regions.
Traditional radio services are now distributed across different networks and received by consumers using a variety of different devices, Ofcom goes on, emphasising that 54% of Britons listen to radio every day and, "An increasing number are listening via DAB receivers, digital television, the internet and mobile phones as well as traditional analogue receivers".
And digital tv is available to almost the entire UK via satellite, cable or terrestrial means.
Mobile
Time spent on mobile phone calls almost tripled (average of 10 minutes a week to 27 minutes) and text messaging increased fifteen-fold (average of 1 a week to 15 a week).
Ofcom also identifies significant trends in mobile telecoms:
- 86% of UK households now contain at least one mobile phone.
- 21% of consumers now regard their mobile phone as their main device for making and receiving calls (up from 17% in 2002).
- 20 million mobile consumers use their mobile phone at least once a week instead of making a call from a fixed-line phone.
- Mobile call costs fell by an average of 1.4% in real terms in 2002-3.
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August 12th, 2004 at 10:57 pm
What do they define as ‘broadband”? I know in Australia you’re lucky to get 256k/56k on your ADSL, while in Canada the standard is around 5M/1M. The former is certainly not broadband.
August 13th, 2004 at 1:10 am
I suppose the term “broadband” is a relative one. Here in the UK, the average “broadband” user subscribes to a 512k/256k ADSL service (down/up). Whereas I personally use a 1024k/256k ADSL service, costing me £30 Sterling a month with AOL.
I would love a 5M/1M service (possible, but prohibitively expensive). I will just have to wait till the prices come down!
August 17th, 2004 at 1:05 am
In the UK the majority of broadband services offered are 512/256 (download/upload) ADSL. Some ISPs do offer higher download speeds, such as 1Mbit or 2Mbit but they are usually limited to 256K up.
Some ISPs offer lower speed ‘broadband,’ such as 128k or 256k, but that’s not really broadband, is it?
As for price, most services offered in the UK are vastly overpriced, given the price of similar, or even better services offered overseas. The lowest price I’ve found so far for 512/256 ADSL is about £20 (probably about 30USD).
Hopefully prices will come down sometime in the near future. I’m still on dialup myself due to lack of money to pay for anything better. Typical poor student