40 percent of households in the UK have broadband access at
home, according to the "Internet Access Individuals and households
- April 2006" report from National Statistics, published on 23
August 2006.
In Wales, the figure is below the UK average at 32 percent, up
from 27 percent in six months. This is higher than Northern
Ireland at 28 percent but lower than Scotland at 34 percent.
A further 20 percent of households in Wales has non-broadband
internet access (dial-up). This figure is down from 27
percent in six months, meaning that the overall percentage of
households with some sort of internet access in Wales has dropped
by two percent.
This is the first of a new annual publication which replaces
the periodic Internet Access report.
Published on the same date, the Internet Connectivity
Quarterly report showed that broadband connections in the UK now
make up 72.6 percent of all internet connections.
This means that dial-up connections have reduced to just 27.4
percent of all connections. Unmetered dial-up connections now
make up just 7.9 percent while metered dial-up makes up 19.5
percent of all connections.
Euro1Net Broadband Cut-off
Action taken by BT against broadband provider Euro1Net has
seen thousands of customers lose their broadband connections.
Euro1Net's website states: "Action by BT on the 21st August
2006 resulted in Euro1Nets IP Stream service being withdrawn...
Advice is still being sought from legal counsel on the dispute
between Euro1Net and BT"
Ofcom's website contains further information for users and
they are monitoring the situation.
SMEs Technology Ranking
SMEs can now rate their use of technology and communications
so that they can achieve the maximum value from their investment by
using a formula developed by leading psychologist and Cardiff and
Birmingham University lecturer, Dr Cliff Arnall.
The formula, commissioned by BT Business, identifies the key
factors that enable a small business and its employees to thrive.
It is available online at
www.bt.com/business/workitwell
so that companies can calculate their own score.
Dates for ADSL enablement of exchanges
|
Exchange Name
|
Ready for Service Date
|
|
Llangunllo
|
05-Aug-06
|
|
Bryneglwys
|
05-Aug-06
|
|
Cyffylliog
|
05-Aug-06
|
|
Llantilio
|
05-Aug-06
|
|
Pennal
|
11-Aug-06
|
|
Rhydymain
|
11-Aug-06
|
|
Ganllwyd
|
11-Aug-06
|
|
Glandyfi
|
19-Aug-06
|
|
Beguildy
|
25-Aug-06
|
|
Llannefydd
|
01-Sep-06
|
|
Bontddu
|
02-Sep-06
|
|
Hundred House
|
08-Sep-06
|
|
Painscastle
|
22-Sep-06
|
|
Cross Ash
|
22-Sep-06
|
|
Rhiw
|
To be confirmed
|
|
Llawhaden
|
To be confirmed
|
|
Rhos
|
To be confirmed
|
ADSL Max from RIBS Exchanges
All of the exchanges enabled by the RIBS project will be able
to deliver ADSL Max services and be included in any future national
upgrade programmes such as ADSL 2.
"Still can't get Broadband?"
If you already know you are in a blackspot you can assist us
by registering you details on our website
www.bbwo.org.uk/blackspots.
In addition, you may want to ask your neighbours to see if
they are facing the same blackspot issues, and encourage them to
register their details onto the brokerage site, as the more
registrations that are collected in one area, the better the
business case and justification for doing the work.
Database of Broadband Initiatives
The Observatory's website now has a database of Broadband
Initiatives or Projects for Wales and the Rest of the World.
Around 20 Welsh projects have been submitted so far and we would
welcome the addition of more projects from Wales and
elsewhere. The database offers a powerful search tool for the
project records as well as a Submit Project option.
www.bbwo.org.uk/initiatives
Wales ADSL stats
Total exchanges in Wales: 434
ADSL enabled exchanges: 427
SDSL enabled exchanges: 18
ADSL Max enabled exchanges: 424
The remaining exchanges will be installed with ADSL and ADSL
Max.
Country Market Reports
Country Reports providing a market overview of data and
telecommunications services are available now for:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denmark
- France
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- UK
EU Consultations
Call for Input on the White Paper on a European
Communication Policy
The European Commission (EC) has called for input on the White
Paper on a European Communication Policy. The consultation
calls for comments on five areas for which the White Paper proposes
joint action to be taken:
- defining common principles guiding the communication activities
on European issues
- empowering citizens
- working with the media and new technologies
- understanding European public opinion
- doing the job together
Closes – 30 September 2006
Public Consultation on Content Online in the Single
Market
Ways to stimulate the growth of a true EU single market for
online digital content such as films, music and games.
Closes – 13 October 2006
Online public consultation on radio frequency
identification (RFID)
Closes – 17 September 2006
Review of the Regulatory Framework for electronic
communication networks and services
Closes – 27 October 2006
3G Rollout Obligations
Ofcom is seeking to measure the extent to which 3G services
are available to the UK population where they live. Such services
should, under normal circumstances, be able to provide a range of
applications such as voice, text, video and multimedia services for
outdoor reception with speeds up to 384kbps. Coverage to meet this
obligation is expected to be primarily urban/suburban rather than
rural.
Closes – 20 October 2006
Broadband migrations: enabling consumer
choice
Ofcom is proposing to introduce new regulation, in the form of
a new General Condition, which will require broadband providers to
make sure that customers can obtain broadband service and switch
suppliers with minimal disruption.
Ofcom's proposals include steps to:
- facilitate consumer requests for broadband migrations in a
manner that is fair and reasonable
- ensure that all broadband migrations are carried out within a
reasonable period; and
- ensure that all broadband migrations are carried out with
minimal loss of service for the customer.
The proposed new regulation will also require broadband
service providers to provide MACs to customers on request and to
comply with a specific process for doing so.
Closes – 5 October 2006
Wales Consultations
Towards e-Wales - a consultation on exploiting the
power of ICT in Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a consultation on
exploiting the power of ICT in Wales. The key aim of the
consultation is to get your views on how we get the best out of
information and communication technology (ICT) to achieve a better
Wales.
The consultation is the first significant step in reviewing
and refreshing the WAG approach to ICT in Wales since the launch of
the ICT strategic framework for Wales, Cymru Ar-lein, in
2001.
Closes – 31 October 2006
What benefits have you had from broadband?
During the second half of 2006 the Broadband Wales Observatory
will be writing up Case Studies on organisations and people who
have benefited from using broadband.
If you as an individual or as part of an organisation have achieved
tangible benefits from using Broadband and would like to feature in
a Case Study that will be published on the Observatory's Web site,
then please email Dr James B. Waddell, Project Manager at BBWO at
waddelljb@ecommerce.ac.uk explaining briefly your
story.
Regulatory Round-up
_________________________________
Communications Market reportOfcom published its Communications Market Report on 10 August
2006, showing a 63% growth in broadband connections during
2005.
The report states: "Of the 11.1 million UK homes and small
businesses with broadband connections, more than three million were
cable and eight million were DSL – the latter up from five million
in 2004. Industry revenues from broadband access were up 70% year
on year to £1.9 billion.
"These trends are likely to continue as new technology and new
products expand choice and availability. Unbundled local loop
services – where competing providers take responsibility for the
customer's line to provide telephone, broadband, voice and
television over the internet and video on demand services – are now
available to 44% of the population, up from to 34% in 2005. The
number of Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK also almost doubled over the
year to June 2006, up from 8,500 to 14,600."
The report shows that telecoms customers are getting
increasingly good value: "Between 2004 and 2005 typical household
telecoms costs fell by 5% (from £80/month to £76/month); the cost
of a broadband connection faster than 1 Mbps fell by 60% (from
around £41/month to around £16/month). Without continuing downward
pressure on retail prices, typical household costs for telecoms
services, based on 2001 prices, would have been more than 50%
higher in 2005 than actually was the case."
Unbundling Update
_________________________________
OTA Update for June 2006
The Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator announced on
7 July 2006 that the number of unbundled lines in the UK exceeded
580,000. This is up from 471,000 in May 2006.
The OTA stated: "I am pleased we have reached 580,000 lines on
the current tactical platforms and processes.
"However it is still important to recognise that the Delivery
of Backhaul and Co-Mingling PoPs in a quality manner and the
continuing stability of; and LLUO transition to; the Strategic
(EMP) Openreach Systems are essential to keep the momentum
going."
Previous announcements had suggested a potential to unbundle
between two and three million lines by the end of 2006.
The Telecommunications Adjudicator aims to facilitate swift
implementation of the processes necessary to enable competitors to
gain access to BT's local loop on an equivalent basis to that
enjoyed by BT's own businesses.
UK Unbundling League
|
Provider
|
Enabled
|
Source
|
|
C&W
|
546
|
|
|
Sky
|
413
|
|
|
Tiscali
|
246
|
|
|
Orange
|
218
|
|
|
O2 (Be)
|
177
|
|
|
Homechoice
|
145
|
|
|
Edge
|
21
|
|
|
Pipex
|
18
|
|
|
Node4
|
4
|
|
Wales Unbundling League
|
Provider
|
Enabled
|
Source
|
|
C&W
|
9
|
|
|
Tiscali
|
4
|
|
Unbundling Targets and Pending
AOL
Target: 300 by first half of 2006
Cable and Wireless (Bulldog)
Target: 800 by 30/09/2006
Carphone Warehouse (Talk Talk)
Pending: 1,018 (30 in Wales)
by 31/08/2006
Orange
Unbundled exchanges 28
Pending: 87 (12 in Wales) by 30/09/2006
O2 (Be)
Pending: 763 by 31/12/2007
Pipex
Target: 100 by 31/12/2006
Market Data Analysis
_________________________________
AOL is still aiming to sell its UK broadband
and dial-up connectivity business according to newspaper reports,
and possible buyers include BSkyB, Orange or The Carphone
Warehouse. However, any buyer may be required to continue to
direct all users to the AOL portal. The company, owned by
Time Warner, has 2.3million members in the UK including 1.1million
broadband subscribers.
http://business.guardian.co.uk/
NTL announced Second Quarter 2006 results on
8 August 2006.
NTL has 205,300 broadband subscribers who do not use the cable
network. These are customers of Virgin.net, a wholly owned
NTL subsidiary, who connect through the BT ADSL network.
Overall NTL has added 104,900 broadband customers within the
quarter which enables them to maintain a lead over BT. NTL
now have 2,902,000 broadband customers and just over 100,000
dial-up customers.
Tiscali remain a distant third place behind
BT and NTL despite announcing that following their merger with
Homechoice they will have 1,300,000 ADSL broadband customers of
which 350,000 customers are taking voice and broadband, over 45,000
will be IPTV subscribers,
Their combined unbundled local loop network will cover over
300 BT exchanges with in excess of 220,000 ULL customers.
Data sources:
Useful Links
_________________________________
Broadband Wales Programme
Visit the Broadband Wales Programme website for information on
the benefits that broadband can bring for you
www.wales.gov.uk/broadbandBroadband for Life
Other News and Events
RIBS "Blackspots" Registration Scheme
If you still can't get broadband after you have been informed
that your telephone exchange has been enabled, please register your
details at
www.bbwo.org.uk/blackspots
Details of when your exchange is due to be enabled can be
found at
The scheme is operated by BBWO on behalf of the Welsh Assembly
Government.
Please note every attempt is made to ensure figures published
in this newsletter are the most up to date and accurate figures
publicly available at time of going to press, however, exact
figures may vary.
Thank you for reading the
Broadband Bulletin from the Broadband Wales
Observatory (BBWO). This newsletter is published once a
month.
Researched by:
Edited by:
Rhys Gravell
Published by:
Broadband Wales
Observatory
eCommerce Innovation Centre
Cardiff University
Cardiff Business Technology Centre
Senghenydd Road
Cardiff CF24 4AY
Tel: 029 2064 7030
The Broadband Wales Observatory is managed by
the
eCommerce Innovation Centre
at Cardiff University on behalf of eWales at the Welsh
Assembly Government.