United Kingdom - Mobile Market Insights, Statistics and Forecasts

Synopsis

The UK has one of the largest mobile markets in Europe, both in revenue and in the number of subscribers. It is served by four major providers – following the significant merger of Orange and T-Mobile – which have all launched 3G services, as well as by a growing number of low-cost MVNOs. The market is characterised by new developments in advanced data services provided over upgraded networks, the bundling of mobile as a quad-play service, and regulatory controls on charges and fees. Mobile penetration is above the EU average, yet subscriber growth remains strong as consumers adopt additional SIMs as well as business-oriented devices and smartphones on various platforms.

Fierce competition has forced operators to concentrate on packaging service bundles and on promotions, and explore applications such as mobile searching and advertising facilities. ARPU has been falling steadily for all operators, with growing mobile data use offsetting lower voice, interconnection and roaming tariffs. The market can expect considerable changes during the next two years as operators prepare their business plans to accommodate spectrum auctions in 2012 and adjust to the refarming of 2G spectrum for 3G use. This report surveys the UK’s mobile market, providing an overview of mobile statistics, regulatory issues and technologies. It also profiles the major operators and MVNOs, and looks ahead to mobile developments in coming years.

Key developments

Vodafone sells 5.5% stake in Indian division Essar and 44% stake in SFR; Everything Everywhere reports 1.1% fall in service revenue in H1 2011; regulator’s 2010 market data report and data to Q2 2011; operator data to end-2011; market developments into 2012.

Companies covered in this report include:

H3UK, Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere (T-Mobile, Orange), Virgin Mobile, Tesco mobile,