Ofcom: Number of U.K. Homes with TVs Drops for the First Time

LONDON: Ofcom reports that after years of consecutive growth, the number of TV households in the U.K. has fallen from 26.33 million at the end of 2012 to 26.02 million at the end of 2013, as viewers increasingly opt for alternative devices.

New data from the U.K. watchdog finds that there are now nearly 1 million homes in the U.K. with broadband but no TV. This reinforces the growing importance of catch-up content, as it is being consumed on devices such as tablets, smartphones, computers and game consoles.

Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive, said: “Digital infrastructure is crucial to the U.K.’s future. As a country we are continuing to make real progress, particularly in the roll out and take-up of superfast broadband and 4G mobile services. But there is more to be done. We need to continue asking whether collectively we are doing enough to build the infrastructure of the future, and to maintain the competition that benefits consumers and businesses.

"Our new interactive map is a simple way for people to check coverage for a range of services which are increasingly important in their lives. The way consumers interact with their TV, phone and broadband is changing as fast as technology is evolving. Our challenge is to keep supporting competition and innovation, while also helping to improve coverage across the country—particularly in hard-to-reach areas where mobile and home internet services need to improve.”