Report: United Kingdom - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

Abstract

Overview

This report covers the UK representing key and influential telecom markets. The report analyses trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, Internet, broadband, digital TV and converging media including VoIP, VoD and IPTV developments.

Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure;
Major players, revenues, subscribers, ARPU, MOU;
Internet, VoIP, IPTV;
Mobile voice and data markets;
Broadband (FttH, DSL, cable TV, wireless);
VoIP, IPTV, VoD, digital TV and DTTV
Convergence and digital media;
Teclecom market forecasts for selective years until 2014 and 2018.

Key highlights:

Local loop unbundling has grown substantially since 2006, and by August 2009 there were more than six million unbundled lines. With more than 20 telcos providing unbundled services from over 1,850 local exchanges, competition in urban areas is intense, leading to some of the lowest broadband prices in Europe. Consolidation among providers in recent years has meant that the broadband market is essentially served by a triopoly of BT, Carphone Warehouse and Virgin Media, which together hold some 75% of all fixed-line subscribers. The economics of scale will enable them to reduce access prices further in coming years as they face increasing competition from the mobile network operators.
The 2009 Digital Britain report which proposed a universal broadband service of 2Mb/s by 2012 will require public funds, sympathetic regulation and the re-use of sub-1GHz spectrum freed from digital switchover. The much delayed spectrum auctions will hamper this development in 2010, requiring tighter regulatory control.
Long-term evolution trials have kept pace with developments elsewhere in Europe, led by O2 which envisages providing data at 140Mb/s, or ten times the speed currently available. The success of LTE will be much needed during 2010 and 2011 to develop rural broadband access as well as provide a platform for MNOs to develop their mobile data services.
Virgin Mobile launched one of Europe' s fastest cable networks during 2009, and may upgrade to a 200Mb/s service by 2012. This will vastly improve the accessibility of high-end data services while the rollout of FttH is unlikely to expand substantially during the next two years.