UK telecoms regulator Ofcom’s 2015 Communications Market Report found that Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for accessing the internet. Ofcom’s research has revealed record Smartphone ownership and use that is transforming the way people communicate.
The report found that one third (33%) of internet users identify their Smartphone as the most important device for accessing the internet. For the first time, this figure is higher than the 30% of people who view their laptop as the most important device for going online.
These findings mark a significant change from those of last year’s report, which stated that 40% of UK consumers viewed their laptop as their primary device for accessing the internet. This was compared to just 22% that identified their Smartphone as their primary device for going online.
Ofcom points to two underlying reasons for the changes. Firstly, there has been a surge in Smartphone ownership, with two thirds (66%) of adults now owning one of these devices. This figure is up from 39% back in 2012. 90% of 16-24 year olds own a Smartphone, which is perhaps unsurprising, but the biggest rise in ownership is with more mature consumers. Half of 55-64 year olds have now joined the Smartphone revolution, a figure which is more than double that of three years ago. Smartphone ownership in this age group was just 19% in 2012, and has now risen to 50%. Those who own Smartphones are using them for an average of nearly two hours a day to browse the internet, use internet banking, access social media and shop online.
The second reason for the growth, according to Ofcom, is the rapid increase in take-up of 4G mobile broadband, which provides faster internet access. During the course of 2014, 4G subscriptions in the UK increased by nearly ten times the previous number – rising from 2.7 million to 23.6 million. 4G users are, on the whole, doing nearly twice as much online as 3G users, and they are spending more time browsing the internet than they are on PCs. Adult Smartphone users spent, on average, 1 hour and 54 minutes every day using their phone, compared to 1 hour and 9 minutes on laptops and PCs. However, this is still much less than the 3 hours and 40 minutes that people spend watching the TV, on average, each day.
The increasing popularity of Smartphones, however, doesn’t appear to be reflected in the bottom line for UK operators, as 2014 continued the trend of declining revenues. Ofcom has mainly attributed this to a 12% decrease in wholesale revenue as a result of cuts in call termination rates.
89.5% of UK premises now have access to at least one 4G mobile broadband service. Four out of ten (42%) of people are able to choose from all four 4G providers (O2, EE, Vodafone and Three). Mobile operators are continuing to expand their 4G networks and by the end of 2017, due to Ofcom rules, 98% of premises will have an indoor 4G signal from at least one mobile operator. These days, indoor 2G mobile coverage extends to 98% of homes and businesses. However, that still means that 2% are without a signal and this equates to around half a million premises.
As part of its Digital Communications Review, Ofcom is considering a range of options to improve coverage for both mobiles and fixed-line broadband.