The Communications Market Report: England

The story of England's communications market in 2009 is one of relatively high take-up of a selection of communications services, often above the UK average.

Broadband take-up in England has more than doubled in the past five years and it's now the highest (73 per cent) among the UK's four nations.

Nine out of ten people have mobile phones but there are fewer mobile-only households in England (13 per cent) than in other nations.

Four in ten people in England use social networking sites, the highest proportion of any UK nation and mobile broadband take-up in inner London (27 per cent) is the highest of anywhere in the UK.

However, regional variations do exist in England, as well as differences between urban and rural consumers.

Broadband take-up is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, while online viewing in rural areas has also increased by 11 per cent to 44 per cent, overtaking levels of online viewing in urban areas.

More than half of adults in rural areas also engage in online banking and radio listeners in rural areas of England are also more likely to own a DAB radio.

But rural consumers are less likely to have access to super-fast broadband, a 3G phone signal, and to a choice of suppliers through their local fixed telephone exchange.

Our research shows that the average broadband speed delivered to premises in rural locations are also typically lower than in urban areas, while rural households are less likely to take communications services in bundles.

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Digital TV take-up in England as whole has now reached 92 per cent of main sets.

Two English regions the West Country and Granada have now completed digital switchover.

Some 40 per cent say they watch television over the internet.

Take-up of catch-up is higher in England (24 per cent) than any of the other nations.

Television (48 per cent) remains the main source of local news for people in England.

BBC and ITV1 spent £153m on regional TV programmes for viewers in England in 2009, down by 20 per cent year on year.

However spend on programmes for England still represented 60 per cent of total spending on nations and regions programming.

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Almost four in ten people in England own a DAB set, higher than in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Around 17 per cent of those without a DAB radio set said they were likely to purchase one within the next 12 months.

Listening to radio channels via digital TV is highest in the South West (43 per cent) but lowest in the East of England (25 per cent).

The BBC spent £138m in 2009/10 on local radio in England, up 3.1 per cent.

One in five people in England listen to radio online.

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Broadband take-up in England has more than doubled in the past five years - 73 per cent now have broadband, the highest among the UK's four nations.

Take-up is highest in the South East (80 per cent) and lowest in the West Midlands (62 per cent). Take-up is also higher in rural than urban areas.

Mobile broadband take-up in inner London (27 per cent) is the highest in the UK.

Some 23 per cent of people living in London use their mobile phone to access the internet, higher than the English average (17 per cent) and the UK average (16 per cent).

Four in ten people in England use social networking sites, the highest proportion of any UK nation and up by 11 per cent over the year.

Some 33 per cent of people in the South West, East of England and outer London areas say they use the internet to find information relating to health issues.

Online viewing in rural areas has increased by 11 per cent to 44 per cent, overtaking levels of online viewing in urban areas.

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England has the highest level of fixed-line ownership (86 per cent) across the nations. Take-up is higher in rural areas than in urban areas (93 per cent vs 85 per cent).

England has fewer mobile-only households (13 per cent) than any of the other nations.

A 2G mobile signal is available to 99 per cent of people in England.

Higher-speed 3G mobile, which is available to 87 per cent of the UK population, covers 91 per cent of the English population.

Thirty-two per cent of mobile phone handsets in London, 31 per cent in the North East, and 30 per cent in Yorkshire and Humberside are 3G. The average in England and the UK is 26 per cent.

In London (24 per cent) and the South East (25 per cent) more people use VoIP to make internet voice calls than elsewhere in the UK. VoIP use is also high in the South West (21 per cent) and the East Midlands (19 per cent).

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