63,000 Northern Ireland homes cannot receive decent broadband 16 December 2016 Advice to Government on universal broadband service
Ofcom calls for radical plans to achieve universal mobile coverage
New app available from today to check both Wi-Fi and mobile signals
The number of Northern Ireland properties unable to get a decent broadband connection has fallen by more than 40,000 over the past year, new research by Ofcom has found.
But 63,000 Northern Ireland homes and offices or 8% of properties remain unable to sign up for broadband speeds over 10 Mbit/s, the speed required to meet a typical household's digital needs. This is down from 107,000, or 14%, last year.
The findings are part of Ofcom's Connected Nations 2016 Northern Ireland report an in-depth look at the state of the Northern Ireland's telecoms and wireless networks. This year's report shows good progress on the availability and take-up of communications services, which are crucial to people's personal and working lives.
However, the report finds there is more to do particularly in boosting mobile and broadband coverage, and improving the quality of service provided by telecoms companies.
For example, rural areas still lag behind on broadband. Around a quarter of properties (59,000) in rural Northern Ireland cannot receive a connection of over 10 Mbit/s, often because they are situated a long way from the telephone exchange or local street cabinet.
To help close this speed gap, Ofcom has today set out its technical advice for the Government on implementing its plans, announced in 2015, for universal broadband.
Today's Connected Nations report also presents the current level of mobile coverage across the country. While the picture is improving, with 4G reaching more premises, coverage still falls short and Ofcom wants to see better coverage across the UK's landmass.
So we have begun discussions with mobile operators to look at radical and ambitious solutions to deliver universal mobile coverage, to keep pace with consumers' needs.
Jonathan Rose, Ofcom Northern Ireland Director, said: Mobile and broadband coverage continued to grow this year, but too many people and businesses are still struggling for a good service. We think that is unacceptable.
So we're challenging mobile operators to go beyond built-up areas, and provide coverage across the UK's countryside and transport networks. Today we've also provided technical advice to support the Government's plans for universal, decent broadband.
Achieving decent, universal broadbandThe number of properties lacking access to decent broadband has fallen significantly in recent years, and is likely to fall further, given on-going investments by industry and Government.
But the universal service would ensure every home and small business in the country has the right to a decent, affordable broadband connection of 10 Mbit/s or above by the end of the current parliament.
Ofcom's analysis shows that this speed is sufficient to meet the current needs of a typical household. The online activity of users who can access this speed is far less constrained than those who cannot.
However, households are likely to need greater speeds as new, data-hungry applications emerge. We will therefore monitor the universal service and recommend its minimum speed to rise when necessary.
The final design of the service will be decided by Government, and then implemented by Ofcom. We have today set out technical advice to inform the Government's decisions on factors such as speed, eligibility, affordability and funding.
As part of this, we have scoped three potential scenarios standard broadband offering
a 10 Mbit/s download speed; a more highly specified version of this service, including a 1Mbit/s upload speed; and a superfast broadband service.
Government has said its preference is for the universal service to be funded by industry. Under this model, the companies providing the universal service would recover any unfair cost burden from a fund paid into by a range of telecoms companies.
Ofcom has also considered the need for universal broadband to reach the most vulnerable customers, including those on low incomes. There could be a need for a social tariff to provide affordable broadband for these customers, as there is for landline telephones today.(4)
A third of homes are now superfast' The coverage and quality of broadband across the UK has increased significantly over the past year, the Connected Nations report finds.
The average download speed of a broadband service in Northern Ireland jumped by 21% in the last year, from 28 Mbit/s to 34 Mbit/s. This reflects not only better coverage, but also people choosing to pay for faster broadband packages.
Around a third of Northern Ireland homes (34%, or 254,000) have now chosen to take up superfast broadband a download speed of 30 Mbit/s or more up from 29% a year earlier.
Superfast broadband is now available to eight in ten Northern Ireland homes (83%), up from 77% last year. This has been driven by BT upgrading its network and on-going investment by the Northern Ireland Executive.
Superfast services are now available to 71% of small and medium sized enterprises or SMEs up from 66% in 2015.
4G mobile spreading fastMobile coverage has also improved in the last year. Six in ten premises (64%) can now receive an indoor 4G signal from all networks, up from just 37% last year, as operators continue to roll out faster mobile broadband.
Ofcom rules mean that O2 must deliver a mobile data service to 95% of premises in Northern Ireland by the end of next year, and other operators are expected to follow in order to remain competitive.
Mobile phone users increasingly need coverage everywhere, so Ofcom is examining how regulation can help make that happen, and
