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Broadband customers 'bundling more often'
Thursday 10th December 2009, by Daniel King
Some 35 per cent of consumers in the UK opt for cheaper bundling deals when it comes to buying communications products, new research suggests.
According to communications industry regulator Ofcom, this figure has risen by five per cent over the last 12 months.
Choosing the same company to provide broadband, mobile and pay TV services is an example of a bundling deal.
BT is one such company that provides each of these options via its phone line service, BT Broadband and BT Vision.
The study by Ofcom indicates that some consumers could make annual savings of as much as £140 by opting to allow the same firm to provide all three major communications services.
It also states that UK consumers are getting better at finding the best value communication deals on the market. Indeed, there is the suggestion that better telecoms deals are available in the UK than in other parts of Europe.
Following on from the survey, Ofcom is launching a review into consumer switching habits, as well as ensuring that companies are providing all the necessary details for customers before they sign up to broadband deals.
"More generally, consumers are not switching as much in the communications sector as they are in other sectors such as energy and car insurance," Ofcom said in a statement.
"That's why we've begun a review of consumer switching to improve consumers' experience of switching providers and plan to consult on the next steps in 2010."
Earlier this week, official statistics provider for the European community Eurostat reported that 69 per cent of UK households have access to broadband in 2009 - up from 62 per cent last year.
