Enabling a Digitally United Kingdom - Umic

12 HOW INDIVIDUALS BENEFIT
New forms of content and communication
New forms of content and communication are driving take-up of digital television, mobile phones and the
internet. By March 2004, 53% of UK households had digital television, up from 50% in the previous quarter.
Of UK adults, 53% now have internet access at home, up from 50% in November 2003; and 25% of these
adults now connect to the internet using broadband. At the end of April 2004, the UK had reached almost
4 million broadband users, with over 40,000 new connections each week. 4 Mobile phone penetration had
reached 75% by November 2003. 5
Using these technologies people can access new interactive services. For example, by using the ‘red button’
on BSkyB’s remote control, people are able to get easy access to a wide range of applications, including:
• enhanced entertainment (eg voting on Big Brother);
• enhanced information (eg Sky News Active);
• electronic commerce (eg shopping, banking, etc); and
• electronic government services.
The internet and mobiles are also changing the way people get information and communicate. Among internet
users, 85% regularly use e-mail, 78% find information about goods or services, 19% use chatrooms and
7% use internet-based telephone or video conferencing. 6 Mobile users send 69 million text messages every
day across the UK. 7 Both e-mail and text messaging are truly compelling applications, providing exciting and
economical ways for friends, families and work colleagues to stay in contact. Both forms of communication
are especially useful when people:
• are a long distance apart;
• have different hours of the day free to keep up contact;
• wish to send short messages; and
• want privacy.
4 www.ofcom.org.uk/media_office/latest_news/nr_20040602?a=87101
5 Ofcom (2003) Strategic review of telecommunications, Phase 1 consultation. London: Ofcom
6 ONS Omnibus Survey: www.nationalstatistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D6932.csv
7 Mobile Data Association (2004) UK mobile data. April.