OFCOM’S latest digital communications coverage maps indicate that while 3G network signals reach only 13 per cent of the UK landmass, the networks are still reaching 73 per cent of premises, while 66 per cent of the UK landmass is covered by 2G mobile signal, covering 97 per cent of premises. Broadband is now available on nearly every UK copper phone line, the report states, but with 14 per cent of residential connections operating below 2MBIT/s speed that government wants to be the norm within five years. However, so called ‘superfast’ broadband networks, which offer speeds of over 24Mbit/s, now pass 58 per cent of UK premises. Its findings are based on information already held by Ofcom, and on additional data gathered from the largest operators in each of the sectors examined.
The Ofcom infrastructure report confirms significant growth in demand for broadband data from UK consumers, with residential fixed broadband customers using an average of 17 GB of data per month. A total of some 311,00,00GB of data was downloaded in the UK in March 2011 alone. Despite the rise in mobile traffic, users of fixed line telephone lines still made 1.7 billion calls in March 2011, Ofcom estimates.
