Ofcom publishes the Communications Market January 2005 Quarterly Update

The Update shows that:

• There are now more broadband connections than unmetered dial-up connections (38 per cent of all internet connections versus 25 per cent).
• Provisional estimates suggest the number of broadband connections passed 6 million at the end of 2004.
• The growth of digital TV continues to affect viewing habits; almost 28 per cent of all viewing was of digital channels in the three months to September 2004.
• Local commercial radio attracted 34.1 per cent share of listening whilst BBC network radio registered 43.5 per cent.

Telecoms

• Average UK residential fixed-line voice call prices fell 7 per cent in the year to September 2004.
• In mobile, revenues from retail customers were up 14 per cent year on year.
• Total fixed-line and mobile telecoms revenues were up 4 per cent year on year.

• As of the end of September 2004, 56 per cent of households had digital television.
• Freeview added a net figure of 430,000 households and digital pay television added a net figure of 89,000 households in the three months to September 2004.
• More than half of all viewers watch at least 15 minutes of digital channels in an average week.

• Total listening was constant year on year, at 1.1 million hours in the three months to September 2004.
• The increasing share of listening for BBC network radio (43.5 per cent) is in part due to BBC Radio 2 (16.1 per cent) and BBC Radio Five Live (4.9 per cent). This increase is also due to the growth of listening to BBC digital stations.
• The reach of national commercial radio has risen by 5 per cent over the last two years (from 21 per cent in the third quarter of 2002 to 26 per cent of the third quarter of 2004).