With almost 85 million active connections in the UK market to date, the telecommunications market plays a vital role in today’s economy, with it being responsible for reliably connecting millions of individuals, groups and devices through vast networks and communications channels. Market use cases include telephone services, Internet connectivity, wireless communications, reliable roaming agreements, non-terrestrial connectivity, 5G, future 6G, and cellular networks. uk MOBILE OPERATORS satisfaction

Juniper Research, the foremost experts in telecommunications markets, has revealed a clear generational divide in the willingness of UK subscribers to adopt mobile operator value-added services, including music and video streaming, and home broadband.

According to a survey of over 3,000 subscribers, the willingness to adopt these services varies significantly by age group:

1. 16-29 years: 45%
2. 30-45 years: 39%
3. 46-59 years: 25%
4. 60+ years: 13%

The survey results highlight that subscribers between the ages of 16 and 29 are almost twice as willing to adopt additional services, compared to subscribers between the ages of 46 and 59. As the age of smartphone usage continues to reduce, Juniper Research identifies that there will be significant opportunities for operators to grow their average spending per user.

The UK Roaming Market

The UK’s decision to leave the European Union (Brexit), which became effective in January 2020, has provided restrictions for both the outbound travel of UK nationals and international travellers visiting the UK. This impacts both leisure and business travel, as ‘free’ roaming to and from the UK has been discontinued. This makes long–term travel more difficult for UK nationals; restricting them to 90 days travel in the Schengen area out of a possible 180 days, and potentially needing visas if they wish to work in this area. This will reduce the use of long–term roaming, as individuals are unable to travel for longer periods without visas.
The UK travel market saw a significant drop of the number of people travelling from the UK following the introduction of travel restrictions. Moreover, following the staggered lifting of regulations in 2021 and 2022, the UK travel market did not fully recover until this year.
In addition, Brexit has changed how operators charge UK customers for international roaming. Many operators no longer offer the RLAH (Roam Like at Home) provision, where customers can use their SMS, voice, and data allowances abroad. Operators have had to review their bilateral agreements for roaming, with prices becoming less favorable for UK outbound roamers. This provides scope for consumers to evaluate the roaming options available, getting the best value for money. This scenario allows for travel SIMs and eSIMs to become a more viable option for travellers in this region, as they would provide a cost-effective alternative to roaming costs. However, not every UK operator offers these services.

Bundling Services Key to Competitive Differentiation

However, as operators struggle to differentiate their core connectivity solutions, such as 5G subscriptions to UK consumers, Juniper Research has identified that just offering additional services will not suffice in encouraging subscriber adoption, as operators must ensure that customer awareness is maximised. Operators must invest in communications strategies such as social media engagement and in-app messaging to educate their subscribers about additional services on offer.

Research author Elisha Sudlow-Poole added:

“To maximise return on investment, operators must focus on increasing the average spend per user, rather than on user acquisition, due to higher onboarding costs. By bundling in demand services such as music and video streaming, and additional data services into a single monthly phone bill, operators will increase subscriber spend. Advertising this bundling via loyalty schemes, exclusive deals, and personalised offers will be key to uptake.”

Tesco Mobile Ranked as Leading Network Operator for Customer Satisfaction

Juniper Research has ranked Tesco Mobile as the leading network operator in the UK for customer satisfaction in 2024. This comprehensive survey of 3,300 UK mobile subscribers assessed attitudes towards their chosen network operators and the services they provide. According to the study, the top five mobile operators providing the highest overall customer satisfaction, measured by net promoter score, are ranked as follows:
1. Tesco Mobile – 92%
2. giffgaff – 91%
3. EE – 86%
4. iD Mobile – 86%
5. Sky Mobile – 85%

While Tesco Mobile ranked first for overall customer satisfaction, the survey found Tesco Mobile subscribers are the most satisfied with the cost of their subscription and the geographical coverage provided. This contrasts with overall responses, as these two factors were the most reported causes of customer dissatisfaction from all subscribers. uk MOBILE OPERATORS satisfaction

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