Brits Embrace Technology
The digital divide across the UK is narrowing.
The digital divide between the UK nations is diminishing according to Ofcom research published 24th May 2007.
In its Communications Market Report for the Nations and Regions of the UK Ofcom examines availability, take-up and usage of internet, telecommunications and broadcasting services. It compares findings across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the nine English Regions.
This is the second time Ofcom has undertaken research across the Nations and Regions of the UK. Last year’s report showed significant differences, particularly in take-up levels of broadband and digital television, both between the nations and also between those living in urban and rural areas. This year’s report shows those gaps are closing.
In 2005 there was a twelve percentage point gap between the number of adults with broadband at home in Northern Ireland - lowest at 24 percent, Wales, Scotland and England - highest at 36 percent. This year’s report shows that by 2006 this gap had reduced to three percentage points. Take-up in England stood at 45 percent and in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales had reached 42 percent.
In 2005 the gap between the nations in terms of digital television take-up was even larger at 19 percentage points with Wales at 72 percent and NI at 53 percent. By 2006 this gap had reduced to 13 percentage points with Wales at 82 percent and NI at 69 percent.
People in Northern Ireland watch less television than the rest of the UK at 3.3 hours per day. People in Scotland watch the most of all the nations at 4.1 hours per day. Viewing of television has fallen further in Northern Ireland over the four years to 2006 than in any other nation.
The report shows that ITV’s digital-only channels ITV2, 3 and 4 have gained more viewing share than those of the BBC, C4 and C5 between 2002 and 2006.
Local commercial radio attracts a larger share of listening hours in Scotland than in any other nation. BBC local radio attracts at least twice the share of listening hours in Northern Ireland than in the other nations. BBC UK-wide radio attracts more listeners in England and Wales than in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The proportion of UK households able to receive competitive broadband and phone services through local loop unbundling (LLU) increase by 27 percentage points over the year from 40 percent at the end of 2005 to 67 percent at the end of the 2006. LLU enables providers other than BT to fully control the equipment in the exchange and to offer a range of competitive phone and broadband services. The number of people able to receive LLU services increased from none in 2005 to 10 percent in 2006 in Northern Ireland.
Almost three out of ten UK households took multiple services from a single telecoms provider in 2006 - fixed line phone and broadband for example. Bundling is highest in Northern Ireland and lowest in Wales. Growth in bundling has been fuelled by growing broadband take-up and increasing LLU availability.
Average reported monthly household spend on mobile phone services - £42.18 based on an average two mobile phones per household - is greater than reported spend on fixed-line and internet combined across the UK at £31.18.
Ofcom also carried out research into take-up and availability of communications services in rural and urban areas in the UK. At around 80 percent similar proportion of people who live in rural areas own a mobile phone compared to urban areas. The research also showed that DAB digital radio ownership in rural households is almost equal to that in urban households at around 17 percent. More people in rural areas have a fixed line phone than in urban areas whereas 41 percent of adults in rural areas have broadband internet at home compared to 45 percent of adults in urban areas.
Ofcom has introduced new regulations to extend wireless broadband access across the country, including in rural areas.
The regulations cover the 5.8 GHz band, currently used by a number of operators to provide fixed wireless broadband services in the UK. Under the new regulations, which come into effect today, the operators will be able to increase power levels, potentially extending the range and variety of services into parts of the country that were previously not covered. This is likely to have its most marked effect in rural areas.
The power increase in this band will make it less expensive for operators intending to use this band to provide fixed broadband access to remote parts of the UK.
Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards says, “This measure means communities across the country may be able to benefit from access to a new form of broadband. That is what closing the digital divide is all about.”
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