Yesterday morning, 19 December, Ofcom has released their annual report on progress in the availability of broadband and mobile services in the UK, including the roll-out of fixed full-fibre and mobile 5G networks.
Ofcom has also seperately published reports for each of the UK's nations on broadband and mobile availability. This includes their interactive report, allowing people to access data about different services and across different parts of the UK. As well as the International Broadband Scorecard 2023, which compares the UK's recent position on broadband availability with several other nations.
Key points from the Connected Nations report include the following:
Connected Nations supports Ofcom's objective of making communications work for everyone, including to promote reliable, widely available, and high-quality networks. At techUK, we continue to bring together government, Ofcom, the telecoms sector and its stakeholders to help the UK maximise the benefits of adopting advanced communications services, maintain confidence in the security and resilience of our networks, and explore future telecoms.
Last week, 12 December, an announcement from Ofcom also included take-up of social tariffs more than doubled in the last year, but millions of eligible customers remain unaware of them. Telecoms customers must be told upfront in pounds and pence about any price rises their provider includes in their contract, under new consumer protection plans set out by Ofcom. A consultation also sets out Ofcom's plans for new consumer price protections in telecoms, including a ban on price increases linked to uncertain future inflation.
Another announcement included Ofcom's statement setting out our proposals to help broadband customers make more informed choices. It explains how and when Ofcom think broadband providers should tell people about the underlying technology used to deliver their service. Alongside the statement, Ofcom has issued guidance to ensure providers give consumers this information in a clear and unambiguous way.
techUK's relaunched Telecoms Infrastructure Working Group also acts as the home of telecoms infrastructure deployment at techUK, covering fixed and mobile infrastructure. The Group focuses on the uptake of the deployment of fibre and radio, including 5G, networks through engagement and collaboration with local authorities, working with techUK's Local Government Programme, creating a forum all stakeholders to convene and share knowledge and best practice.
Find out more about our Communications Infrastructure and Services Programme.