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Digital divide between Wales and UK continues to narrowCARDIFF, WALES: The digital divide between Wales and the UK as a whole is continuing to narrow as Welsh consumers embrace communications services and become increasingly tech-savvy, new research from Ofcom reveals. ![]() Among its findings, Ofcom's Communications Market Report into the TV, radio, broadband and telecoms industries in Wales, shows that in 12 months, the gap between broadband take up in Wales (64%) and the UK as a whole (71%) decreased from 10 to 7 percentage points; and that Wales has the highest proportion of mobile-only households in the UK (19% compared to a UK average of 14%). The report also shows that the take up of digital television and mobile broadband is higher in Wales compared with the other nations of the UK. Wales has the highest mobile broadband take-up of any nation in the UK (16%), a 5 percentage point increase compared with 2009. South East Wales has the highest proportion of households who use mobile broadband (18%) followed by North and Mid Wales (14%) and South West Wales (12%). Rural areas outperform urban areas in take up of communications servicesTake up of services in Wales has continued to increase in the last 12 months and is generally higher in rural areas than urban areas. Ofcom's research finds that the take-up of broadband in rural Wales (69%) continues to be higher than urban Wales (62%). Consumers in rural Wales are more likely to own a mobile phone than their urban neighbours, despite there being more mobile not spots in rural areas. Take up in rural areas has increased from 89% to 93% in twelve months to surpass the level of take up of mobile phones across the whole of the UK (89%). Take up in urban areas of Wales is lower, at 87%. Welsh consumers become more tech-savvyThe report shows that consumers are increasingly seeking out opportunities to save money on communications services. Some 44% of households in Wales are taking a discounted bundle of services - two or more services such as telecoms, mobile, broadband and TV - from one operator, up from 35% on the previous year. The use of social networking in Wales has also grown significantly in twelve months. Some 37% of Welsh people use a social network site such as Facebook, a 50% increase compared with 12 months ago. Rhodri Williams, Director, Wales, Ofcom said: "It's good to see that the digital divide between Wales and the UK as a whole is narrowing. Communications services are rapidly becoming a necessity rather than a luxury for Welsh consumers and businesses in all parts of Wales. Even though our report indicates that there are still challenges to overcome, the direction of travel is positive." Professor Tony Davies, chairman of Ofcom's Advisory Committee for Wales (ACW) said: "The ACW welcomes Ofcom's findings that the communications gap is reducing between Wales and the UK as a whole. It is particularly heartening to see that the people of Wales are becoming more knowledgeable and astute in the way in which they buy and use communications services. However, significant challenges still remain, particularly on 3G mobile coverage, broadband speeds and the reach of local DAB and we will continue to press for significant progress on these issues." The Communications Market Report for Wales can be found here: www.ofcom.org.uk/cmrwales. More developments1. Other key market developments in Wales Television and audiovisual
Audio and radio
Telecoms and networks
Internet and web-based content
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