Northern Ireland embraces the online world

Northern Ireland is increasingly embracing the online world, with more people than ever before using social networking, watching catch-up TV, and making calls over the internet.

More people also have an MP3 player or an iPod than anywhere else in the UK, while more than half of homes (52 per cent) have a games console, the highest proportion in the UK.

Five years ago only a quarter of homes in Northern Ireland had broadband.

But Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report shows that take-up now stands at 70 per cent, almost matching the UK average of 71 per cent and well ahead of Scotland and Wales.

This increased take-up is allowing more people to enjoy a range of online activities.

Over a third of people in Northern Ireland (37 per cent) now use social networking sites, while 38 per cent watch TV online and 15 per cent of households make phone or video calls over the internet – all significant increases over the last 12 months.

Rural communications

Today’s research also shows that rural consumers are ahead of their urban neighbours when it comes to the use of many communications services.

Broadband continues to be more popular in rural than urban areas (72 per cent compared to 69 per cent) and consumers in rural areas are also more likely to own a mobile phone than their urban neighbours (90 per cent compared to 87 per cent).

People in rural areas are also more likely to have satellite television (51 per cent compared to 40 per cent), probably owing to the fact that digital cable is restricted to Belfast and Londonderry/Derry and Freeview is not available throughout the whole of Northern Ireland.

But Ofcom’s research confirmed that people who live in rural locations across the UK, including rural areas of Northern Ireland, are less likely to have access to super-fast broadband, a 3G phone signal, and a choice of suppliers through their local telephone exchange.

The research also shows that the average broadband speeds delivered to premises in rural locations are typically lower than in urban areas, although fixed-line take-up is often higher.

Bundling

Bundling of services – taking more than one telecoms service from the same provider, often with a discount – is up 5 per cent from last year to 44 per cent in Northern Ireland and peaks at 54 per cent in the Belfast area.

The majority of people in Northern Ireland opt to take two services – phone and broadband – from the same provider, although rural households are less likely to take communications services in bundles than urban homes.

Less satisfied with services, but less likely to switch provider

People in Northern Ireland are consistently less satisfied with their home phone, mobile and broadband services than consumers elsewhere in the UK.

For example, when asked if they were satisfied with the value for money of their broadband service, only 74 per cent of respondents in Northern Ireland said they were ‘very or fairly satisfied’, compared to 84 per cent across the UK

However, only 26 per cent of respondents said they had ever switched broadband provider, compared to 30 per cent across the UK.

Ofcom’s Director in Northern Ireland, Denis Wolinski,  said: ‘This is the fifth year we have produced the Communications Market Report for Northern Ireland.

‘Over the last four years we have seen Northern Ireland catch up, and in some cases overtake, the rest of the UK in the use of the latest communications services.

‘We have also seen the report become established as an invaluable reference source for anyone here with an interest in communications.’

Click here for the Communications Market Report for Northern Ireland

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