5 Telecoms and networks 5 Recent developments in Scotland A number of schemes have been designed to promote digital inclusion in harder-to-serve areas of Scotland. A planning application has been approved by Argyll and Bute Council, the local authority covering the island of Coll in the Inner Hebrides, for a community mobile mast to provide wider mobile coverage. There are around 200 inhabitants on the island and the mast will bring coverage to some areas for the first time. It is a pilot scheme; the mast will be publicly-funded and the annual running costs, estimated at around £2,000, will be met by the community. The planning application for the mast, and some cabinets, was lodged by Vodafone. Buckie was the first location in which superfast broadband services (. those with a headline speed of 30Mbit/s or higher) became available under the £410m Scottish Government, BDUK and BT partnership scheme. More locations in the Highlands and Islands have also been connected, including the first island connection, to Lerwick on Shetland. In Spring 2014 10,000 premises were reported to be able to access superfast broadband through the publicly-supported roll-out. The ambition for the full programme is to provide superfast access to 95% of the Scottish population by 2017/18. For the ‘last 5%’ of the population not covered by this superfast roll-out, money and support are available under the Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) initiative. This is part of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and supports communities seeking local solutions for connectivity. It was set up in August 2012 with £5m of funding from the Scottish Government. CBS aims to help bring improved broadband to rural communities in Scotland that currently receive download speeds of less than 2Mbit/s. CBS had set up 600 connections by December 2013, and is aiming for 5,500 by September 2014. Digital participation is key issue across Scotland, particularly in Glasgow. The Scottish Government launched its national framework in April, and a number of reports have been published on the issue from organisations such as Carnegie UK Trust and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Glasgow City Council has created a city-wide partnership project, Digital Glasgow, to address a number of digital themes, including digital participation. It has produced a ‘roadmap’ to ensure that Glasgow is a world-leading digital city by 2017, and plans to address a number of areas including household and business connectivity, employment and future city development. It estimates that 64,000 households are currently offline and 65% of SMEs in Glasgow do not do business online. Annual progress monitoring will be put in place, including tracking the percentage of residents accessing the internet at home and on the move, access to public services online and the number of access points available to residents. The Wheatley Group is undertaking two pilot projects to develop a model for achieving a low-cost broadband solution for its tenants which can be replicated across the social housing sector. The first study, which has been extended to a year-long project, provides the internet to 12 homes in low-rise properties. A range of technology solutions are being tested and each household has been given a device (laptop or tablet) to access the internet, as well as help and support to get online. The second pilot is the Digital Demonstrator project, a joint initiative with the Scottish Government and BT. The aim of the study is to test the feasibility of developing a low-cost broadband solution for multi-storey blocks. The pilot block includes 138 units and a range of household types, including single-person households and temporary flats for homeless people. 79
A free open-air WiFi network is planned to be available in Glasgow in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, concentrating on city centre public places and areas of high footfall. Residents and visitors will be able to access the network free of charge in the city centre and the East End. Digital Glasgow plans to allow a telecommunications provider to mount equipment on council buildings and street furniture. The network will remain in place after the Games. The Scottish Government has announced the launch of the country’s first dedicated internet exchange point (IXP) - IXScotland. It is intended that this will enable internet service providers in Scotland to pass data traffic more quickly and easily across networks. Ofcom is working with the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for White Space 4Communications on white space trials, and Microsoft is to examine using white spaces to link a network of sensors around Glasgow to create a ‘smart city’. In February 2014 the UK Government announced a further £250m of funding for superfast broadband, with £ earmarked for Scotland. This funding is in addition to the £ already invested by central and local Government, and aims to ensure that 95% of UK homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband by 2017. Ofcom has organised a full spectrum plan for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, arranging all the licences in support of the plan and ensuring that essential wireless services are free from harmful interference. Over 2,000 assignments had already been made for the event at the time of publication, with the greatest areas of demand in the areas of wireless broadcast equipment. Availability of fixed broadband services ADSL broadband services are available to almost all UK premises By the end of 2013 almost all UK homes were connected to an ADSL-enabled BT local exchange, although some people may not be able to receive ADSL broadband services, or may only be able to do so at very slow speeds, as a result of the long length or poor quality of the copper telephone line from their premises to the local exchange. BT’s fixed telephony network includes around 5,600 local exchanges, of which fewer than 30 had not been upgraded to offer ADSL broadband by the end of 2013 (most of these were in Scotland, and the remainder in England). As a result, the proportion of homes connected to an ADSL-enabled BT exchange was marginally lower in Scotland than in the other UK nations at the end of 2013 (Figure ). Local loop unbundling (LLU) involves an alternative operator placing its own equipment in the incumbent provider’s local exchange. This is then connected to the LLU provider’s backhaul network and ADSL broadband services are provided over the twisted copper pair, which is leased from the incumbent. LLU operators are able to benefit from economies of scale which are not available to them when purchasing wholesale ADSL services on a per-unit basis, and have greater opportunity to differentiate the services that they offer from those of their competitors. Consumers living in LLU-enabled exchange areas have a greater choice of ADSL broadband services and, typically, access to lower-cost (particularly bundled) broadband services. At the end of 2013, 95% of UK premises were connected to an LLU-enabled BT exchange, a percentage point increase compared to a year previously. LLU rollout was originally concentrated in exchange areas that serve a large number of premises (which tend to be in urban areas), and the proportion of premises connected to an LLU-enabled local exchange continued to be higher in urban areas (over 99%) than in rural ones (76%) at the end of 80
2013. Across the UK nations, the proportion of premises connected to an LLU-enabled BT local exchange ranged from 87% in Northern Ireland to 95% in England at the end of 2013 (in Scotland it was 88%, the second lowest proportion among the UK nations). Figure Proportion of premises connected to ADSL and LLU-enabled exchanges: December 2013 Proportion of premises (per cent)10080All ADSL6040LLU ADSL200 Sources: Ofcom/BT Over a third of premises in Scotland were able to receive cable broadband services in June 2014 Ofcom collects data showing the number of premises (. homes and offices) in the UK that are able to receive cable and fibre broadband, as part of its work to monitor the UK’s communications infrastructure. The methodology used to analyse the cable, fibre and next generation access (NGA) broadband availability data in this report is different to that used to compile the data in the 2013 report. In last year’s report we included data regarding the proportion of premises in postcodes that were served by cable broadband and fibre networks, which can sometimes overstate service availability as not all premises in a postcode will necessarily be able to receive services. In compiling the figures in this year’s report we have been able to use more granular data, which means that the figures in Figure to Figure are more accurate that those published previously, but the data in these charts are slightly lower than they would be had they been compiled using the same methodology as the figures in the 2013 report. Furthermore, it is important to note that not all connections provided over the cable and fibre networks which are used to provide superfast fixed broadband services (. those with a 31headline speed of ‘up to’ 30Mbit/s or higher) will necessarily achieve actual speeds of 30Mbit/s or higher. For example, the maximum speed achievable on a given line using fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) technology will depend on the length and quality of the copper connection from the street cabinet to the user’s premises. Ofcom’s 2014 Communications Infrastructure Report (to be published later this year) will provide more detailed analysis of the distribution of fixed broadband speeds. 31 The definition of a superfast fixed broadband connection used by UK Government is one with a download speed of at least 24Mbit/s. 81 & Rural76
Analysis of data provided by Virgin Media shows that 44% of UK premises were able to receive broadband services over Virgin Media’s cable broadband network in June 2014 32(Figure ). The proportion of premises able to receive cable broadband ranged from 21% in Wales to 47% in England (in Scotland it was 35%, the second highest proportion across the nations), and was significantly higher in urban areas of the UK (51%) than in rural areas (3%). Virgin Media is currently upgrading its cable network to offer speeds of ‘up to’ 152Mbit/s, and its most basic cable broadband package currently offers speeds of ‘up to’ 50Mbit/s where these upgrades have already taken place. Figure Proportion of premises able to receive Virgin Media cable broadband services Proportion of premises (per cent)8060406354514947474644444220393533262130 Sources: Ofcom/Virgin Media, June 2014 data Scotland had the lowest proportion of premises that could receive fibre broadband services in June 2014 From data provided by the UK’s incumbent fixed telephony providers, Openreach (a BT Group company) and Kcom (the incumbent provider in the Kingston-upon-Hull area), we are able to calculate the proportion of UK premises that were able to receive fibre broadband services over these providers’ combined fibre broadband networks in June 2014 (Figure ). For the reasons mentioned above, the figures below are not comparable to those 35published in the 2013 report. Our analysis shows that by June 2014 48% of premises in Scotland were able to receive fibre broadband services over Openreach’s fibre broadband network, the lowest proportion 32 Compiled on the same basis as the figures in the 2013 report, 46% of UK premises and 37% of premises in Scotland were in postcodes served by Virgin Media’s cable broadband network in June 2014. These figures represent annual falls of two percentage points and one percentage point respectively, which are predominantly due to Virgin Media having undertaken a clean-up of its serviceable addresses database. 33 Under regulatory rules other providers can provide retail fibre broadband services to consumers using these networks. 34 It should be noted that these figures will understate actual fibre broadband availability as they exclude availability over networks other than Openreach and Kcom’s. 35 Compiled on the same basis as the figures in the 2013 report, 71% of UK premises were in postcodes served by Openreach/Kcom’s fibre broadband networks in June 2014, a 15 percentage point increase compared to a year previously. 82 UKEnglandScotlandWalesN IrelandLondonSESWEMWMEEY&HNENWUK UrbanUK Rural
36among the UK nations. Across the other nations, the proportion of premises that were served by Openreach or Kcom’s fibre broadband networks ranged from 55% in Wales to 92% in Northern Ireland, which has benefited from a Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) initiative to increase the availability of superfast broadband services. Availability of fibre broadband services was higher in urban areas of the UK than in rural areas: 75% of UK premises in urban areas were able to receive Openreach or Kcom’s fibre broadband services in June 2014, compared to 32% in rural areas. Again, it is important to note than not all fibre broadband connections with be able to achieve actual downstream speeds of 30Mbit/s. Figure Proportion of premises able to receive Openreach/Kcom fibre broadband services Proportion of premises (per cent)10080609282407875717169697068636362554820320 Sources: Ofcom/Openreach/Kcom, June 2014 data Just under two-thirds of premises in Scotland were able to receive NGA broadband services by June 2014 By combining the Virgin Media cable broadband availability data in Figure with the Openreach/Kcom fibre broadband availability data in Figure we are able to estimate the proportion of premises that are served by NGA networks (which are used to deliver superfast broadband services). For the reasons mentioned previously, not all fixed broadband connections provided over NGA networks will necessarily achieve actual downstream speeds of 30Mbit/s. Combining the postcode-level availability data for cable and fibre broadband services gives us a range of availability for NGA broadband services: for example, if cable broadband and fibre broadband services are both available to 50% of premises in a postcode area the availability of NGA services in that postcode will be somewhere between 50% of premises (in the case where cable and fibre services are available to the same 50% of premises within the postcode area) to 100% of premises (where there is no overlap in the availability of cable and fibre networks). In Figure below, we show the mean of the possible range of availability of NGA services (which would be 75% in the example given above). As previously, the figures below are not directly comparable to those that were included in the 2013 report. 36 Compiled on the same basis as the figures in the 2013 report, 51% of premises in Scotland were in postcodes served by Openreach’s fibre broadband network in June 2014, a 26 percentage point increase compared to a year previously (the largest increase among the UK nations). 83 UKEnglandScotlandWalesN IrelandLondonSESWEMWMEEY&HNENWUK UrbanUK Rural
The analysis shows that 78% of UK premises were able to receive fixed broadband services 37over NGA networks by June 2014. Across the UK nations this proportion ranged from 58% in Wales to 95% to in Northern Ireland, with 64% of premises in Scotland and 80% of premises in England being within NGA network footprints. In urban areas of the UK, 85% of premises were able to receive NGA broadband services in June 2014, compared to 34% in 38rural areas. Figure Proportion of premises able to receive NGA broadband services Proportion of premises (per cent)10080609591858482824081807876767470645820340 Sources: Ofcom/Openreach/Kcom, June 2014 data Mobile coverage Overview While mobile use is widespread across the UK, there are still areas where a lack of network coverage means that making mobile phone calls, sending text messages and/or accessing data services over a cellular network is not possible. These areas, which are referred to as ‘mobile not-spots’, are often characterised by low population density and/or hilly terrain, and present physical and economic obstacles that may deter mobile network operators (MNOs) from installing mobile phone masts in these areas. In other areas, some operators have mobile coverage whereas others do not have a presence, leading to the creation of ‘partial not-spots’. 37 Compiled on the same basis as the figures in the 2013 report, 80% of UK premises were in postcodes served by NGA networks in June 2014, a seven percentage point increase compared to the previous year. 38 Compiled on the same basis as the figures in the 2013 report, 66% of premises in Scotland were in postcodes served by NGA networks in June 2014, a 13 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. 84 UKEnglandScotlandWalesN IrelandLondonSESWEMWMEEY&HNENWUK UrbanUK Rural
How we measure the availability of mobile telephony for this report The coverage information presented in Ofcom’s Communications Market Reports and Infrastructure Report is collected by Ofcom from the four UK mobile network operators (MNOs). Information on coverage is provided by each operator for each 100x100m pixel of 39landmass across the UK. This information is correlated with maps of premises to give the premises coverage figures. The availability figures quoted all refer to outdoor coverage. Coverage figures for indoor reception are likely to be lower because radio signals are attenuated as they pass through the fabric of buildings. Indoor reception is highly dependent on the building in which reception is desired, and where the user is located in the building, making it difficult to calculate accurate indoor coverage figures. Figure , Figure and Figure show levels of mobile coverage for 2G, 3G and 4G 40services respectively. 2G is considered satisfactory for telephone calls and text messaging, while 3G is often considered the minimum necessary to provide an acceptable experience of accessing mobile data services. The first 4G mobile services launched in the UK in 2012, and this is the first time that we have included 4G mobile coverage data in these reports. % of premises in Scotland were in areas with 2G mobile coverage in June 2014 Coverage data provided to us by the UK’s three national 2G network operators (Vodafone, O2 and EE) show that by June 2014 % of UK premises were in areas with outdoor coverage from all three of these providers’ 2G networks, and % were in areas with outdoor coverage from at least one 2G network (Figure ). Conversely, this means that % of UK premises (around 75,000 premises) were in areas without any 2G coverage. Among the UK nations, the proportion of UK premises with outdoor coverage from at least one 2G network ranged from % in Northern Ireland to % in England (in Scotland it was %, the second-highest proportion among the nations). Similarly, the proportion of premises with 2G coverage from all three 2G networks was highest in England at % and lowest in Wales at % (in Scotland it was %, again the second-highest proportion among the nations after England). The proportion of homes in Scotland with outdoor 2G mobile coverage from all three national 2G networks increased by percentage points in the year to June 2014, while the proportion with outdoor coverage from at least one 2G network increased by percentage points. 39 This year we have refined our analysis of mobile coverage by increasing the granularity of the data we gather from the MNOs, moving from 200m x 200m coverage grids to 100m x 100m coverage grids. 40 The availability data provided by the MNOs is taken from network planning tools, which are subject to a margin of error, and local factors such as tall buildings or trees can affect signal strength. 85
Figure 2G premises mobile coverage, by number of operators Proportion of premises (per cent) Sources: Ofcom/operators, June 2014 data Note: Coverage is based on 100m square pixels covering the UK By June 2014 % of premises in Scotland were in areas with 3G mobile coverage The coverage data provided to us by the four national UK 3G MNOs (the three 2G providers plus 3UK) shows that, overall, UK 3G coverage was lower than 2G coverage in June 2014, when % of UK premises were in an area with outdoor coverage from at least one 3G network, and % were in an area with coverage from all four networks (Figure ). Scotland had the lowest proportion of premises in areas with outdoor 3G coverage from at least one network among the UK nations in June 2014, at % (this proportion was highest in England at %), while the proportion of premises in areas with coverage from all four 3G networks ranged from % in Wales to % in England (in Scotland it was %, the second-lowest proportion among the nations). There was an improvement in the availability of 3G services in Scotland in the year to June 2014; the proportion of premises in areas with outdoor coverage from all four national 3G networks increased by percentage points over this period, and the proportion with similar coverage from at least one provider increased by percentage points. 86 UKEnglandScotlandWalesN IrelandLondonSESWEMWMEEY&HNENWUK UrbanUK rural
Figure 3G premises mobile coverage, by number of operators Proportion of premises (per cent) Sources: Ofcom/operators, June 2014 data Note: Coverage is based on 100m square pixels covering the UK Almost three-quarters of UK premises were in areas with outdoor 4G coverage in June 2014 The four national UK MNOs are still in the process of deploying their 4G networks, and this is reflected in the lower availability of 4G services than of 2G and 3G services in June 2014 (Figure ). Data provided by the MNOs suggest that % of UK premises were in areas with outdoor mobile coverage from at least one 4G network in June 2014, with the proportion of premises in 4G coverage areas ranging from % in Wales to % in Northern Ireland across the UK nations (in Scotland it was %, the second lowest proportion after Wales). All four UK MNOs say that they will have 98% 4G population coverage by the end of 2015 (with some reaching this threshold earlier), and O2’s 4G spectrum licence stipulates that it should provide indoor coverage to 98% of the UK population (and at least 95% of the population of each of the UK nations) by the end of 2017 at the latest. Figure 4G premises mobile coverage, by number of operators Proportion of premises (per cent) Sources: Ofcom/operators, June 2014 data Note: Coverage is based on 100m square pixels covering the UK 87 UKUKEnglandEnglandScotlandScotlandWalesWalesN IrelandN IrelandLondonLondonSESESWSWEMEMWMWMEEEEY&HY&HNENENWNWUK UrbanUK UrbanUK ruralUK rural
Service take-up Take-up of communications services is in line with the UK averages in Scotland Figure below compares the take-up of communications services in Scotland in Q1 2014 to the other UK nations and the UK average. The proportion of homes that used fixed telephony services in Scotland (83%) and the proportion of people in Scotland who owned a mobile phone (90%) both continued to be in line with the other UK nations in Q1 2014. As was the case across the UK as a whole, the proportion of adults using a smartphone increased significantly in Scotland in the year to Q1 2014, up from 45% to 62%, in line with the UK average of 61%. Household ownership of any type of computer in Scotland also increased in the year to Q1 2014, up by three percentage points to 77%, again in line with the UK average of 79%. Take-up of mobile broadband services remained stable in Scotland at 6%, following a fall which was recorded in the previous year (down from 12% in Q1 2012 to 7%). A similar trend was evident across the UK. Figure Take-up of communications services, 2014 Scotland Scotland UKScotlandEnglandWalesN IrelandurbanruralIndividualVoice telephonyFixed Line84%83%84%78%83%82%89%Mobile phone93%90%94%92%94%90%89%Smartphone61%62%61%57%55%64%54%InternetComputer (any 79%77%80%76%76%77%78%type)Tablet computer44%42%44%45%45%41%48%Total Internet82%81%82%80%80%81%80%Broadband (fixed 77%76%77%71%73%76%76%and mobile)Fixed Broadband73%73%73%69%70%73%73%Mobile Broadband8%6%9%7%5%6%7%Mobile internet57%56%57%52%51%58%49% QC1. Is there a landline phone in your home that can be used to make and receive calls?/ QD2. Do you personally use a mobile phone?/ QD24B. Do you personally use a smartphone?/ QE1. Does your household have a PC or laptop computer?/ QE2. Do you or does anyone in your household have access to the internet/ World Wide Web at home?/ QE9. Which of these methods does your household use to connect to the Internet at home?/ QD28A. Which if any, of the following activities, other than making and receiving voice calls, do you use your mobile for? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: All adults aged 16+ (n = 3740 UK, 501 Scotland, 2249 England, 491 Wales, 499 Northern Ireland, 261 Scotland urban, 240 Scotland rural) Broadband take-up is lower than average among over-65s and C2DE households While broadband take-up stood at 76% across all households in Scotland in Q1 2014, penetration was lower than average among over-65s, the C2DE socio-economic group and low-income households (Figure ). Broadband penetration in Scotland was highest, and in line with the UK average, among those aged 35-64, higher socio-economic groups and those with children in the household. 88
Figure Broadband take-up in Scotland compared to the UK, by demographic Proportion of households100%80%60%9388888787868683838240%7776727065645151494720%0%Total16-3435-6465+ABC1C2DE<££+YesNoSocial GroupAnnual household Children in incomehouseholdScotlandUKQE9. Which of these methods does your household use to connect to the internet at home? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: All adults aged 16+ (n =501 Scotland, 138 16-34s, 251 35-64s, 112 65+, 257 ABC1, 242 C2DE, 156 <£ income, 155 £+, 143 children in home, 358 no children in home) Over half of all adults in Scotland said that they had used a mobile phone to access the internet In Q1 2014, over half of all adults in Scotland (56%) said that they had used a mobile phone to access the internet, with almost all of these saying that they had done so within the previous week (Figure ). Use of a mobile phone to access the internet has increased by 12 percentage points since Q1 2013 and remains at a similar level to the other UK nations. This rise in the use of mobile phones to access the internet in Scotland is linked to the rise in smartphone take-up, which stood at 62% of all adults in Q1 2014. Consumers in urban areas of Scotland were more likely than those in rural areas to access the internet on a mobile phone, with 58% of adults in urban areas claiming to do so, compared to 49% in rural areas. Figure Use of a mobile phone to access the internet Proportion of adults585757565660%52515444494250%5443240%3130%35353535252504846164220%1514285510%1411100%UK 2014ScotlandEnglandWalesNScotScotScotlandScotlandScotlandScotlandScotlandScotland201420142014Irelandurbanrural200920102011201220132014201420142014Used in past weekUsed less than weeklyQD24. Which, if any, of the following activities, other than making and receiving calls, do you use your mobile for?/ And, which of these activities have you used your mobile for in the last week? (NB 2009 survey did not cover use in past week – shows any use) Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: All adults aged 16+ (n = 3740 UK, 501 Scotland, 2249 England, 491 Wales, 499 Northern Ireland, 261 Scotland urban, 240 Scotland rural, 1014 Scotland 2009, 1468 Scotland 2010, 487 Scotland 2011, 500 Scotland 2012, 501 Scotland 2013, 501 Scotland 2014) 89
One in seven households in Scotland is mobile-only Mobile-only households In the following analysis, ‘mobile-only’ households are defined as those that have at least one mobile phone between the residents; and do not have ‘a landline that can be used to make or receive calls’. Therefore this measure of mobile-only households includes a proportion (c30% of mobile-only homes) who say they have fixed broadband services. Most fixed broadband services require a fixed line. As such these consumers may have a fixed line but no handset, and have responded on the basis that they cannot make or receive calls using their fixed line. One in seven (16%) households in Scotland used mobiles as their only form of telephony in Q1 2014, a similar level to that recorded in Q1 2013 and the average for the UK as a whole (Figure ). The penetration of mobile-only households varied significantly by demographic in Scotland, with 22% of those aged 16-34, 18% of those aged 35-54 and 24% of those in the DE socio-economic group having only mobile telephony in their household, compared to 7% of over-55s and 7% of AB households. People living in Scotland’s urban areas (17%) were more likely than those in rural areas (10%) to live in a mobile-only household. Figure Household penetration of fixed and mobile telephony Proportion of householdsFigure above bar shows % point change in mobile only from Q1 2013+1+/-0+/-0-1-1+/-0-3100%10Neither161516171516171622151917844480%6876610489Mobile60%only40%80808179777676767774727270Fixedonly20%0%Fixedandmobile QC1. Is there a landline phone in your home that can be used to make and receive calls?/ QD1. How many mobile phones in total do you and members of your household use? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: All adults aged 16+ (n = 3740 UK, 501 Scotland, 2249 England, 491 Wales, 499 Northern Ireland, 261 Scotland urban, 240 Scotland rural, 1014 Scotland 2009, 1468 Scotland 2010, 487 Scotland 2011, 500 Scotland 2012, 501 Scotland 2013, 501 Scotland 2014) Over two-thirds of mobile phone users in Scotland use a smartphone Just over two-thirds (69%) of all mobile phone users in Scotland used a smartphone in Q1 2014, an increase of 20 percentage points since Q1 2013 (Figure ). This was the largest increase across the nations and has brought smartphone use in Scotland into line with the UK average (65%) and was higher than that of Northern Ireland (58%). Smartphone take-up among mobile phone users was highest in Scotland among those aged 16-34 (90%), those in the ABC1 socio-economic group (79%) and higher-income households (take-up was 80% among mobile users with a household income of £+). 90 UK 2014Scotland2014England2014Wales 2014N Ireland2014Scot urban2014Scot rural2014Scotland2009Scotland2010Scotland2011Scotland2012Scotland2013Scotland2014
Smartphone take-up among mobile phone users in Scotland was higher in urban areas compared to rural areas. Figure Take-up of smartphones among mobile phone users Proportion of mobile usersFigure above bar shows % point change in +9+20+9+8+10+22+13use of mobile phones from Q1 201380%60%40%71696966656261584920%38210%UK 2014ScotlandEnglandWalesNScotlandScotlandScotlandScotlandScotlandScotland201420142014Irelandurbanrural2011201220132014201420142014 QD24. Do you personally use a smartphone? A smartphone is a phone on which you can easily access emails, download files and applications, as well as view websites and generally surf the internet. Popular brands of smartphone include BlackBerry, iPhone and Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy. Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: Adults aged 16+ who personally use a mobile phone (n = 3405 UK, 447 Scotland, 2055 England, 438 Wales, 465 Northern Ireland, 235 Scotland urban, 212 Scotland rural, 425 Scotland 2011, 430 Scotland 2012, 464 Scotland 2013, 447 Scotland 2014) Two-thirds of mobile connections in Scotland are post-pay contracts The UK as a whole continued to see a significant shift away from pre-pay and towards monthly mobile contracts in the year to Q1 2014, with a fall of four percentage points to 35% in the proportion of mobile users using pre-pay services (Figure ). Scotland followed this trend, with an eight percentage point decline in the proportion of mobile users using pre-pay services since Q1 2013, to 33%. The increased take-up in Scotland of monthly contracts that include a handset (from 53% in Q1 2013 to 61% in Q1 2014) is likely to be related to the increasing take-up of smartphones, as post-pay services allow consumers to spread the high up-front cost of the handset across the length of their contract. In line with smartphone take-up being higher in Scotland’s urban areas (see Figure ), mobile phone users in urban areas were more likely to have a monthly contract that included a handset. 91
Figure Type of mobile subscription Proportion of mobile usersFigure above bar shows % point -4-8-4-6-1-8-7change in pre-pay from Q1 2013100%Unsure4452267568951080%343436Other5240484853576157646160%Contractunsure type40%636259Contract SIM4844434320%41only3534333331Contract with0%handsetPrepay / Payas you go QD11. Which of these best describes the mobile package you personally use most often? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: Adults aged 16+ who personally use a mobile phone (n = 3405 UK, 447 Scotland, 2055 England, 438 Wales, 465 Northern Ireland, 235 Scotland urban, 212 Scotland rural, 877 Scotland 2009, 1237 Scotland 2010, 425 Scotland 2011, 430 Scotland 2012, 464 Scotland 2013, 447 Scotland 2014) Satisfaction with telecoms services Satisfaction with the ability to connect to the internet using their mobile network was highest among smartphone users in Scotland Satisfaction levels with regard to mobile phone services remained high in Scotland in Q1 2014, with at least nine in ten consumers in Scotland being ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their overall service and reception, in line with the other nations (Figure ). In addition, just over nine in ten smartphone users in Scotland (93%) were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their mobile network service in terms of the ability to connect to the internet via 3G or 4G in Q1 2014. Scotland continued to have the highest level of satisfaction in the UK, five percentage points above the UK average of 88%. Smartphone users in Scotland’s urban areas (95%) were more likely than those in rural areas (79%) to be satisfied with their ability to connect to the internet via 3G or 4G. 92 UK 2014Scotland2014England2014Wales2014N Ireland2014Scoturban2014Scot rural2014Scotland2009Scotland2010Scotland2011Scotland2012Scotland2013Scotland2014
Figure Satisfaction with ability to connect to the internet via 3G or 4G network Proportion of mobile users100%9395888885847980%Fairly40393332satisfied33393360%40%Very555654555247satisfied4520%0%UK 2014ScotlandEnglandWalesN IrelandScotlandScotland2014201420142014urbanrural 20142014QD21. Thinking about your mobile phone service only, how satisfied are you with (main supplier) for ability to connect to the internet using the mobile network (3G or 4G)? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: Adults aged 16+ who personally use a smartphone (n = 2038 UK, 290 Scotland, 1252 England, 235 Wales, 261 Northern Ireland, 165 Scotland urban, 125 Scotland rural) Note: Figures above chart columns indicate the proportion of people who were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with the ability to connect to the internet using the mobile network Eighty-eight per cent of fixed broadband users in Scotland are satisfied with their service Just under nine in ten (88%) fixed broadband users in Scotland were either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their fixed broadband service in Q1 2013, similar to the average for the UK as a whole (88%). Overall satisfaction with the fixed broadband service did not differ across Scotland’s urban or rural areas (Figure ). Figure Overall satisfaction with fixed broadband service Proportion of fixed broadband usersFigure above bar shows % point +/-0-3+/-0+3+/-0-3-2change in total satisfied from Q1 2013100%9492929189888888888887868580%3036Fairly39384145424742464543satisfied4560%40%64Very564950484646464420%42424340satisfied0%QE8. Thinking about your fixed broadband internet service, how satisfied are you with (main supplier) for the overall service provided by (main supplier)? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: Adults aged 16+ with a fixed broadband connection at home (n = 2601 UK, 367 Scotland, 1553 England, 334 Wales, 347 Northern Ireland, 192 Scotland urban, 175 Scotland rural, 528 Scotland 2009, 778 Scotland 2010, 294 Scotland 2011, 330 Scotland 2012, 341 Scotland 2013, 367 Scotland 2014) Note: Figures above chart columns indicate the proportion of people who were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their overall fixed broadband service 93 UK 2014Scotland2014England2014Wales2014N Ireland2014Scoturban2014Scot rural2014Scotland2009Scotland2010Scotland2011Scotland2012Scotland2013Scotland2014
Satisfaction with the speed of fixed broadband services was unchanged in the year to Q1 2014 Over eight in ten fixed broadband users in Scotland (85%) were either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with the speed of their fixed broadband service in Q1 2014, unchanged since Q1 2013 and similar to the average for the UK as a whole (84%). Overall satisfaction with the speed of fixed broadband services was higher across Scotland’s urban areas (88% vs. 74%) than its rural areas (Figure ). Figure Satisfaction with speed of fixed broadband Proportion of fixed broadband usersFigure above bar shows % point +3+3+4+7+3+5-3change in total satisfied from Q1 2013100%88858585858485838282817480%73Fairly28403137364040satisfied4560%424150373840%57Very51474847454520%394040satisfied3735320%QE8. Thinking about your fixed broadband internet service, how satisfied are you with (main supplier) for the speed of your service while online (not just the connection)? Source: Ofcom research, Q1 2014 Base: Adults aged 16+ with a fixed broadband connection at home (n = 2601 UK, 367 Scotland, 1553 England, 334 Wales, 347 Northern Ireland, 192 Scotland urban, 175 Scotland rural, 528 Scotland 2009, 778 Scotland 2010, 294 Scotland 2011, 330 Scotland 2012, 341 Scotland 2013, 367 Scotland 2014) Note: Figures above chart columns indicate the proportion of people who were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their speed of service while online 94 UK 2014Scotland2014England2014Wales2014N Ireland2014Scoturban2014Scot rural2014Scotland2009Scotland2010Scotland2011Scotland2012Scotland2013Scotland2014
