
Vulnerable people facing online barriers 15 March 2017
One in five people with disabilities still lack internet access
Older consumers are less likely to shop around or switch
But consumers getting good value for money from their communications
Older people, and those with disabilities or low incomes, are still using communications services less than others, Ofcom has found.
However, the gap is narrowing as these groups make greater use of computers, smartphones and tablets.
The findings are part of Ofcom's first Access and Inclusion report, which examines whether the communications market is delivering for vulnerable consumers.
Communications services are increasingly essential to everybody's lives. For people in vulnerable circumstances, they can be particularly important, especially if they cannot easily leave their homes because of disability or illness.
Today's research finds that:
Disabled people are using tablets and smartphones much more. Access to both types of devices rose by 16 percentage points from 2014 to 2016, reaching 46% and 57% respectively.
Internet access among disabled people also increased, from 65% in 2014 to 79% in 2016. However, that still leaves one in five disabled consumers who are not online.
People on lower incomes are more likely to shop around compared to those on higher incomes, suggesting that competition is working for those who want to save money.
Consumers on lower and moderate incomes continue to use services at similar levels to those on higher incomes, but an increasing number of younger consumers are experiencing problems with debt. Ofcom is currently reviewing its fair debt management policies for mobile and broadband.
Older people tend to have much lower engagement with the communications market, and less likely to shop around or switch.
Pricing trends
Ofcom has also published research into pricing trends across the communications market.
The study finds that:
People are spending less on telecoms and TV services. Average monthly household spend on landlines, fixed broadband, TV and mobile services fell by 9% to £113 in real terms in the decade to 2015, despite a small (2%) increase in 2015.
People are also getting much more for their money. Average monthly home broadband data use grew from 8GB to 97GB between 2008 and 2015, while average connection speeds increased from 4Mbit/s to 29Mbit/s. Similarly, average mobile data use increased from 0.1GB in 2011 to 0.9 GB in 2015, and 4G (which launched in 2012) accounted for just under half of UK mobile connections in 2015.
The price of mobile data services has fallen significantly. The average cost of a basket' of mobile services including 500 minutes of calls, 200 texts and 5GB of data fell from £57 in 2012, to £40 in 2016.
Entry-level bundle prices have also fallen. The average price of the major UK ISPs' cheapest landline and superfast broadband bundles fell by 25%, to £34, between 2009 and 2016. Over the same period, the average price of triple-play superfast bundles with pay TV fell by 16% to £43.
Some pockets of consumers are being hit with price rises. The price of landline line rental has increased, despite a decline in wholesale costs. These landline-only customers are more likely to be older and from lower income households. Ofcom is currently consulting on plans to cut the bills of BT's landline-only customers who make up 80% of the landline-only market by at least £5 per month.
Some mobile customers may over-pay for their handset. Contract mobile customers who have the cost of the handset combined into their monthly bill may end up paying too much for their handset, if they continue to pay their full monthly charge once the contract term is up.
Overall, people in the UK are receiving good value for money from their communications services. But the report finds that the prices people pay depend heavily on their ability, or willingness, to shop around for the best deals. As the number of choices in the market has increased, so has its complexity.
Ofcom wants to ensure that consumers are aware of the choices available to them, and can switch easily to the services that best meet their needs. Alongside our work in simplifying switching processes, we are exploring appropriate prompts to make customers aware that they may benefit from changing tariff or provider.
In the coming weeks, we expect to publish our first report for consumers on quality of service on communications services, providing the information they need to choose the best provider for them.
Ofcom also audits and accredits price comparison websites, which can play an important role in helping people to shop around.
ENDS
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...