More British smartphone users get access to the internet on their mobile by logging onto wi-fi rather than using their phone network directly, putting fresh pressure on mobile companies’ revenues, a survey by consultants Deloitte has found.
The UK performance is in stark contrast to mobile users in four other major markets — America, Japan, Germany and France — where more people prefer to use their phone operator’s network rather than wi-fi.
Paul Lee, global research director at Deloitte, said the wide availability of wi-fi in Britain, especially in London, explained the difference in behaviour. “It’s not just mobile operators that are offering wi-fi, it’s also fixed operators such as BT, pay-TV companies such as BSkyB and Virgin Media and payphone operators such as Spectrum,” Lee said.
Established mobile operators such as Vodafone and Everything Everywhere are facing a threat as savvy consumers save money on their bills by using free wi-fi.
Consumers told Deloitte the main reason they liked wi-fi was greater speed and reliability. Mobile operators hope new super-fast 4G spectrum, due to launch next year, will make phone networks faster.
