Ofcom has just published its fifth annual Consumer Experience Report, which reveals how the UK communications market has developed in recent years.
91% of the UK population now has a mobile phone, compared to 80% in 2006. Fixed-line installations have continued to decline, while the proportion of mobile-only homes has almost doubled from 8% in 2005 to 15% in 2010.
As mobile penetration has increased, so call charges have dropped. Ofcom’s figures say call charges from mobile phones have fallen over the last four years by almost 50%, from an average 15.1p per minute to 8.8p per minute.
The research also shows that 78% of business users now regularly work out of the office, with 58% using mobile phones to access email and the internet.
Complaints about telecoms services and providers fell by approximately 20% from 2007 to 2009 and remain stable this year. However, Ofcom says the process of moving to another mobile or fixed-line network is causing it concern. It notes that levels of switching mobile network have declined from 13% in 2006 to 8% this year, due in part to longer contract lengths.
[Ofcom document (pdf)]