Better Ads Needed To Boost Broadband Uptake

The uptake of broadband internet access in the UK will remain slow unless service providers improve their marketing strategies, according to a report from business information company Datamonitor.

The report says that cutting costs alone will not be enough to encourage the uptake of broadband services, instead service providers must improve their marketing and advertising initiatives to ensure that consumers are aware of the benefits of broadband access technologies.

Telewest recently launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of its Blueyonder broadband service (see Telewest Launches Ad Campaign) and the cable operator announced on Friday that the number of broadband connections it is selling per day has risen from 380 this time last year to 900 (see Telewest Announces Broadband Growth).

However, Caroline Bryan, business analyst at Datamonitor, said: “Of the 51 million Western European households with internet access, just 6% have access via broadband. The majority of consumers are only aware only of improved connection speeds that broadband brings. The inability of service providers to relay the benefits is also slowing the take up of broadband access technologies, hence preventing the potential of this technology from being fully exploited.”

A recent report by The Fletcher Advisory found that UK broadband internet users are cutting the amount of time they spend watching television in order to use the internet (see Broadband Users Turned Off By TV).

Datamonitor: 020 7675 7487 www.datamonitor.com

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