Limited Superfast Broadband Access In Wales Leads To Mobile Dependency

Welsh households are becoming increasingly dependent on their mobiles for Internet and telephone services as the rollout and adoption of broadband services lag behind the UK average.

According to The Ofcom Communications Market Report for Wales, just 48 percent of premises in Wales have access to superfast broadband, an increase of 11 percent from last year, but still the lowest among the UK nations.

Similarly, 66 percent of households have a broadband connection of any description, 9 percent less than the UK average of 75 percent.

Wales broadband adoption

However, one in nine people access the Internet exclusively through their mobile phone, twice the UK average, bringing the total number of online consumers in Wales to 75 percent. Similarly, 23 percent of homes in Wales are shunning traditional landline services and using their mobile phone at home, significantly more than the 15 percent UK average.

This dependency on mobile phones is likely to continue as smartphones become increasingly popular in the country. Ofcom says 54 percent of Welsh adults have a smartphone, an increase from 12 percent last year, while rural adoption jumped to 48 percent from 33 percent.

With those in rural areas often afflicted with slow broadband connections, mobile phones are proving increasingly vital tools for Internet access. However, users in Wales are significantly more likely than those in England or Scotland to say the ability to make and receive calls and texts is the most important factor when choosing an operator.

Mobile dependency

“Wales remains at the forefront when it comes to mobile-only homes and it is encouraging to see rural Wales leading the way in smartphone ownership, a trend set to continue with the imminent rollout of 4G services across the UK,” said Rhodri Williams, Ofcom’s director for Wales. “4G services will mean faster mobile broadband speeds, greater innovation, new investment and better coverage across Wales with at least 95 percent of the population of Wales receiving an indoor 4G coverage by the end of 2017 at the latest.”

LTE services have long been considered as a way of providing high speed Internet access to rural areas where fixed broadband connections are not considered feasible. Earlier this year, EE 4G announced plans to expand its service across the Northern Fells region of Cumbria, where there is no comparable fixed location in the hope of improving connectivity in the region.

As part of the conditions of O2’s purchase of 800MHz spectrum in the Ofcom 4G auction, the operator is committed to providing coverage to 98 percent of the UK population and 95 percent of the populations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“It will be crucial to ensure that the UK Government’s Mobile Infrastructure Project and forthcoming rollout of 4G services serve to support this trend and ensure that all of Wales’ residents can access the next generation of mobile services, regardless of location,” added Ian Clarke, Chairman of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Wales (ACW).

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