Ofcom: UK Communications Market Report August 2018

Ofcom released the latest "Communications Market Report". In 2017, the UK's telecommunications, television, radio and publishing service revenue was 54.7 billion pounds, a year-on-year decrease of 2%. 5.2% of household expenditure was spent on communication services, or 124.62 pounds per month, of which 70% was spent on telecommunications services.

Always connected

The number of people in the UK who go online 24 hours a week is twice as high as it was in 2011;

7 in 10 commuters use their smartphones on the go;

The most popular activities for office workers are messaging (43%) and accessing social media (32%).

Younger people are more likely to multitask on their smartphones while commuting, with 27% of millennials engaging in at least five online tasks;

Most adults acknowledge the value of networking, with three-quarters of respondents believing that online connections help them maintain interpersonal relationships, but they also acknowledge that this affects face-to-face communication.

The evolution of the communications industry over the past decade

Since the launch of BBC iPlayer and iPhone in 2007, smartphones have become the most popular connected device, with 78% of UK adults using a smartphone. Tablets (58%) and games consoles (44%) have remained stable over the past three years. In 2017, 42% of UK households owned a smart TV and 20% owned a wearable device. This decade of progress has been unequal, with low-income households and those over 54% less likely to own a smartphone, laptop or tablet. Mobile phones (96%) and TVs (95%) remain the most popular communication devices.

Revenue of various communication channels in the UK in 2017:

• TV revenues were £13.6 billion, with broadcasting revenues down 4%;
• Broadcasting revenues of £1.3 billion, the highest level in five years;
• Telecom revenue fell 1% to £35.6 billion;
• Postal revenue fell 6% to £4.1bn.

In 2018, 9 in 10 British people accessed the internet at home. Most of this time was spent on mobile devices (62%), and mobile advertising already accounted for 45% of online advertising in the UK in 2017.

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