Scotland’s take-up of broadband internet is lagging behind the rest of the UK by over ten per cent, according to a snapshot of Scotland's internet, telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, by regulators, Ofcom.
Says Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report for Scotland, household take-up throughout the country is 61 per cent, the same as this time last year, and some 13 per cent behind the UK average.
In particular, the report specifically notes that broadband take-up in Greater Glasgow is 50 per cent; only 34 per cent among those aged over 55; and 30 per cent for social-economic groups D and E. It's an even lower 26 per cent among households with incomes less than £17,000 per annum.
However, for 35-54 year-olds, broadband uptake in Scotland was 85 per cent, two per cent above the UK average.
As reported last month on allmediascotland.com, Ofcom says “there is evidence of increased network TV production in Scotland”, with first-run network productions last year accounting for 4.6 per cent of UK expenditure, up from 3.6 per cent of total expenditure in 2009.
Says Ofcom: “In terms of volume of TV programming, producers in Scotland delivered 4.6 per cent of all first-run hours during 2010, up from 3.3 per cent 12 months earlier (and up from 1.6 per cent in 2006).
“Public Service Broadcasting spend on national and regional TV programming for viewers in Scotland also experienced a slight increase of one per cent from 2009 to reach £52 million in 2010.”
And among other highlights, adults in Scotland are more likely than those in the UK as a whole to say they trust TV news output (68 per cent compared with 54 per cent).
Other facts 'n' figures in the report:
* Six in ten homes (61 per cent) in Scotland have an HD Ready TV set, and over half of these (35 per cent of all adults) say they have access to HDTV channels (via cable, satellite or DTT).
* 62 per cent say that TV is their main source of local news (compared with the UK figure of 52 per cent).
* BBC radio stations accounted for a 45 per cent share of total listening in Scotland – lower than its corresponding share in any of the other nations, and compared to a UK average listening share of 55 per cent.
* In the year ending March 31 this year, local commercial stations accounted for 40 per cent of total radio listening hours in Scotland, a higher share for this group than in any other UK nation (UK average is 32 per cent).
* Three in ten adults in Scotland (31 per cent) who listen to the radio told Ofcom they have a DAB radio set at home.
