UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has published its Market Data Update for the last quarter of 2009. It says total revenue fell by 2.1% year-on-year across the UK's four largest mobile operators. However, it notes this was the slowest rate of annual decline during 2009.
Total call volumes across the four network operators increased by 6.3% year-on-year to 27.4 billion in Q4 2009, although roaming call volumes were down by 1.5%. The total number of messages sent reached nearly 26 billion in Q4 2009, equivalent to 367 messages per subscriber; significantly higher than the Q4 2008 figure of nearly 20.5 billion or 299 messages per subscriber.
Ofcom also says the number of active mobile subscriptions grew by nearly 1.5 million in Q4 2009 to 70.65 million, the highest quarterly increase since 2005. The increases in post-pay 'contract' and prepay customers was very similar; 734,000 more post-pay and 729,000 more pre-pay customers.