The recession might be snapping at the ankles of the UK’s consumers but they’re still refusing to relinquish their favourite pastimes: keeping in touch, surfing the net and watching TV via their phones and their computers.
That’s the verdict of Ofcom’s sixth annual survey of the UK communications market, published last month.
It reports that the population – unsurprisingly – is keen for opportunities to save money and get best value. They seem prepared to cut back on dining out, DIY and holidays but their communications services remain their priority buy – as long as the price is right. As a result, the number of people buying multi-play deals – two or more services from a single operator – has increased to 46% during the first quarter of 2009, up from 39% last year.
And the attraction of crunch-busting bundles continues to grow. Ofcom says that nearly one in two people (47%) are now more likely to buy a bundle than they were in 2008. Around a quarter are also more prepared to shop around for an improved mobile phone service and a new broadband provider than they were a year ago.
VoIP calls are gaining in popularity too, as people explore new ways to trim their costs. Ofcom’s research suggests that there’s been a surge in the number of people making phone calls via the internet, with 21% of internet users having used a VoIP service in 2008, compared with just 14% in 2007.
For customers who want to get the most from the trend towards bundled buys, BT Wholesale can offer a fast and easy solution. Our White Label Managed Services provide you with both the fully managed broadband and voice services you need plus a comprehensive customer service wrap. An extensive choice of options includes contact centres and billing.
Alternatively, if you’re already selling voice services and want to expand your portfolio to include broadband, our latest managed broadband service – BT Plusnet Partner – can make it simple.
It comes with no set up costs and no commitment to customer numbers so that you can get to market quickly without big upfront investments: vital considerations at a time when the sales opportunities are happening right now but funding continues to be hard to find.
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Read the new Ofcom report – The Communications Market 2009 -here.
Want to start bundling? Check out our White Label Managed Services offer.
Find out more about BT Plusnet Partner managed broadband here.
Or contact your BT Wholesale account management team.
