Concern around network
underperformance is lower but
still material; one-quarter are
concerned about a reduction in
the quality of their broadband
service since the start of the
crisis.
However, these
considerations aren’t
translating into higher demand
for new forms of connectivity:
11% of households recognise
the need to upgrade to full
fibre broadband, while only
8% say the crisis has made
purchasing 5G mobile more
appealing.
“We may have not
acknowledged enough the
vital role telcos, media
and tech companies are
playing since the start of the
Covid-19 situation,” admits
Praveen Shankar, EY’s head
of technology, Media and
Telecommunications (TMT)
for the UK & Ireland. “From
ensuring that the digital
infrastructure is keeping
the UK connected and the
economy moving by enabling
consumers to access critical
online services – these
companies are indispensable.”
“Consumer sentiments
towards TMT providers during
the crisis are positive at this
stage,” he notes. “But with
rapidly changing demands
in an increasingly volatile
landscape, they need to
continuously engage with their
customers and respond with
both agility and focus.”
Report: UK altnet full-
fibre coverage grows
50%
A report has revealed that the
UK’s independent network
providers (altnets) increased
their full-fibre coverage by
50% in 2019, up from 23%
growth in 2018, to pass 1.2m
premises.
Compiled for the
Independent Networks Co-
operative Association (INCA)
by Point Topic using data
provided by independent
network operators, the report –
Metrics for the UK independent
network sector – shows
strong continued investment
– with financial-related
announcements up by £936m
– and growth in network
deployment by altnets. Rural
fixed wireless connections
remain stable.
There has been a significant
push by the Government
in recent years to provide
full-fibre for all, and this is
reflected in the industry as it
aims to reach 2.4m premises
with full-fibre at the end of
2020 and 15.7m premises
by end-2025. Being able to
achieve this is dependent on a
number of factors listed in the
report, including delivery times
for services from Openreach or
other operators, and getting
wayleaves.
“The substantial increase
from last year is very
promising,” said Malcolm
Corbett, CEO at INCA.
“These impressive results
are reflected in the scale of
investment in the UK’s digital
infrastructure. We calculate
that a commitment of £6.6
billion has been announced
for the independent operators.
Coronavirus has demonstrated
clearly the reliance we all
have on connectivity. We look
forward to seeing Government
continuing to prioritise
renewal of the UK’s digital
infrastructure, both fixed-line
and wireless.”
At the forefront of
everybody’s minds is the
Covid-19 pandemic. As noted
in the report, this is having
a serious impact on the
telecommunications sector
along with the rest of society.
However, the report notes that
many of the operators’ other
concerns are being addressed.
Planning and street work
delays and/or costs, which was
last year’s top issue has moved
down the list, suggesting that
work done by Government and
local authorities is starting to
pay-off.
In its assessment of
2019, the report gathered
evidence suggesting that the
UK’s independent network
operators passed 1.2m
homes with fixed superfast
or ultrafast broadband. The
majority of these use ultrafast
Fibre-to-the-Premises or home
(FTTP/H) and Fibre-to-the-
Building (FTTB) technology.
Fixed wireless networks
can address up to 2.3m
premises, though this is
more challenging to assess
accurately. The research shows
that connections to WISPs
(Wireless Internet Service
Providers) remain stable at
around 110,000. Independent
full-fibre providers now have
366,000 live connections, up
23% since last year.
“The independent network
operator sector has seen
some fantastic growth from
last year,” notes Annelise
Berendt, principal associate at
Point Topic. “It is clear from
the report that independent
operators are playing a
significant role in helping the
UK Government reach their
full-fibre targets.”
Connected TV devices has
risen by 35%.
Both drama and news and
current affairs content have
helped to boost the service’s
catch up and simulcast
audience figures in the past
month, with catch up across
drama up 26% year on year,
further to the recent success
of the second series of Liar.
Meanwhile simulcast
viewing between the hours
of 06:00am and 09:00am has
increased by 55%, driven by
Good Morning Britain’s ongoing
news coverage around the
Coronavirus.
Steve Forde, Director of
Digital Products, ITV, said “The
recent uplift in the first quarter
for the ITV Hub and Hub plus
in both reach and consumption
is hugely encouraging, as we
continue to evolve the platforms
and look at new ways to
enhance our content.”
ITV Hub viewing
surges Y-on-Y Forecast: E. Europe to
add 10m digital pay-TV
subs
ITV Hub, the AVoD platform
from UK commercial PSB ITV,
hs revealed its performance
results for the first three
months of 2020, achieving
an uplift in both reach and
consumption hours.
Year on year consumption
hours have increased by 82%,
while monthly reach on the
platform has risen by 40%. ITV
Hub plus, ITV’s ad free service,
has also grown 80% since the
same period last year.
Figures also released
for March 2020 reveal how
the Hub has witnessed a
49% increase year on year
in simulcast viewing, owing
to a strong schedule across
programme genres.
The current ten most-
viewed shows across the
ITV Hub are Liar, Coronation
Street, Emmerdale, Belgravia,
Sam & Billie: The Mummy
Diaries, Ibiza Weekender, Ant
and Dec’s Saturday Night
Takeaway, The Trouble with
Maggie Cole, Family Guy and
The Good Karma Hospital.
Additionally, viewing across Eastern Europe will add nearly
10m digital pay-TV subscribers
between 2019 and 2025 to take
its total to 77m. However, the
region still had 15.4m analogue
cable subscribers by end-2019.
Simon Murray, principal
analyst at Digital TV Research,
explained: “The number of
pay-TV subscribers in Eastern
Europe will decline from 83
million in the peak year of 2018
to 78 million in 2025. Migration
married with low birth rates
mean that populations will fall
in 14 of the 22 countries that
we cover between 2019 and
2025.”
The number of TV
households will fall in 16
countries between 2019 and
2025 – with the region’s TV
households dropping by 2.2m
over this period.
Russia will account for half of
the region’s pay TV subscribers
in 2025, but it will lose 2.9m
pay-TV subs between 2019
and 2025. The number of pay-
TV subscribers will fall in six
countries between 2019 and
2025.
EUROMEDIA 19