Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Summary findings

Main findings

Chapter 3 UK Internet penetration at home

Chapter 4 Connection methods, ISPs, and packages used

Chapter 5 General household use of the Internet

Chapter 6 Broadband services

Chapter 7 Satisfaction with Internet service

Chapter 8 Internet use outside of the home

Chapter 9 Use of email instead of fixed voice calls

Annex A Details of changes to quarterly survey sample

Annex B Details of changes on Internet package

Annex C November 2002 residential questionnaire and ad hoc questionnaires

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 This report provides an overview of the key findings of consumer behaviour in the Internet market, taken from the eleventh wave of Oftel’s quarterly residential consumer survey, conducted in November 2002. Results from previous waves are used for comparison purposes where appropriate and referred to throughout this report.

1.2 The report provides trend information and examines differences between consumers with different social characteristics. The sample and methodology were changed in May ’02. It is important to understand these changes and the effect this has on the results. Please see annex A for further details.

1.3 The main survey was conducted for Oftel by Recom (Research in Communications) amongst 2312 UK adults (see note one below) during November 2002, of whom 42% claimed to be connected to the Internet at home. The section on use of emails instead of voice calls was conducted by ICM Research amongst 1001 GB adults (see note two below) aged 18+ with fixed line phones during October 2002 and the section on use of broadband services was conducted by Continental Research ^{(see note three below)} amongst 102 broadband users during November 2002. The report has been prepared by Oftel (see note four below) based on the results provided by Recom, ICM Research and Continental Research.

1.4 This report covers:

Internet penetration

• Usage of ISPs and packages
• Switching access method and package
• Awareness, interest and use of broadband services
• Time spent online
• Satisfaction with speed, quality and value for money
• Usage outside the home
• Use of emails instead of fixed voice calls

1.5 A copy of the questions is attached in annex C. Topics to be researched each quarter are requested by Oftel project teams and results feed into current investigations and reviews in individual market areas.

Notes:

1. This survey was conducted amongst a representative sample of UK adults, reflecting the UK profile of sex, age, social grade, region and employment status and representative of cabled/non cabled areas, rural/urban areas, and levels of deprivation. Data has also been weighted to ensure the sample is representative of the UK adult population.

2. This survey was conducted amongst a representative sample of GB adults, reflecting the GB profile of sex, age, region and housing tenure. Data has also been weighted to ensure the sample is representative of the GB adult population.

3 This survey was conducted amongst a sample of UK broadband users. Because the surveys were conducted amongst a sample of adults, rather than the whole population, the data may be subject to a small margin of error. The error margin for total sample of 2312 consumers is about 1-2%, for 1001 is about 2-3% and for 102 broadband users is around 6-10% but higher amongst smaller subgroups.

4 The report should not be seen as recommended best buys and should not therefore be relied upon when making purchase decisions. Oftel has conducted its own checks on the data in this report and whilst we consider it to be correct, Oftel accepts no liability in respect of any of the results provided to it by Recom, Continental and ICM or any decisions taken by any person in reliance on the report.

Chapter 2

Summary findings

Headline figures

• 50% UK adults use the Internet in a variety of locations;
• 42% UK homes connected to the Internet;
• 63% Internet homes using unmetered packages;
• 9% Internet homes using broadband – according to recent subscriber figures; and
• 9 hours is the average weekly household time spent online.

Internet market continues to remain fairly static with movement towards faster access methods

2.1 Internet access remains unchanged this quarter at 42% penetration. PC penetration also remains stable at 53%. There was also little change in the types of Internet packages being used – currently around 3 in 5 (63%) homes with Internet use an unmetered package, 30% use a pay as you go package (calls only) and 7% pay a subscription as well as all call costs.

2.2 A rise in the number of subscribers using broadband services and a sustained fall in use of PSTN/dial up access indicates movement towards faster access methods which is consistent with Industry subscriber figures.

Satisfaction with aspects of Internet service remains stable

2.3 9 out of 10 households are satisfied with their overall Internet service – broadly unchanged over the last year. Satisfaction levels remain slightly behind those for the fixed (96%) and mobile markets (93%) which are also unchanged this quarter.

2.4 Unsurprisingly the faster speeds available to broadband customers are claiming significantly higher satisfaction (92%) than amongst customers using narrowband metered (62%) or unmetered products (64%). In general broadband users claim higher levels of satisfaction across all aspects compared to other methods of Internet access.

Significant rise in awareness of broadband services since February 2002

2.5 Currently 7 out of 10 Internet customers not currently using broadband are aware of these services rising to 8 in 10 (78%) amongst all Internet customers including those currently using broadband, compared to just over half (53%)) in February 2002. This greater awareness is likely to reflect the recent advertising from BT. Internet customers currently using a narrowband unmetered package (81%) were significantly more aware than those currently using a metered package (68%).

2.6 A third (32%) of Internet customers are interested in finding out more information on broadband services. The main issues being – price, how it works, how it differs to other Internet access and which companies are offering it. The most popular place these consumers would go to find out more about broadband services is the Internet itself.

A third of broadband users connected straight to broadband, and half experienced no problems with the service

2.7 The vast majority of consumers with home Internet access have never used an alternative method than currently, to connect to the Internet. PSTN users are most likely to have connected straight to the Internet (94%) using this method while broadband users are more likely to have upgraded from an unmetered narrowband package (48%).

2.8 Half of broadband customers said they have not experienced any problems with their service. Various problems identified by the remainder included issues with the connection, the service being slower than expected and poor helpline. The main reasons for choice of ISP amongst broadband customers was cost and familiarity.

Some consumers send emails instead of making voice calls

2.9 Three-quarters of adults with Internet send emails rather than making voice calls from their fixed line at home, at varying levels of frequency, this equates to around a third (35%) of all adults. The most popular instance where emails are used instead of voice calls appears to be for information or enquiries (64%). Other reasons included emailing abroad (60%), and to reduce costs in general (58%).

Interest in SDSL

2.10 1 in 5 broadband users were aware of SDSL services, and of those interested in using them 2 in 5 had no specific use for it but simply wanting quicker speeds in general. Those interested would pay an additional £4 on average for double their current upload speed and about £6 for a ten-fold increase however, 2 in 5 were not prepared to pay any more than their current broadband charges.

Main findings

Chapter 3

UK Internet penetration at home

3.1 Both PC and Internet penetration appear to have reached a plateau with the proportion of homes with Internet access remaining at 42% and PC ownership static at 53%. These figures have been broadly similar for the last 12 months. The main groups abstaining from connecting to the Internet remain the same as reported previously – older consumers (55+), lower income groups, and DE social grades. Smaller households are also significantly less likely to be connected than those with 3+ people, as shown in figure 3b.

Figure 3a: % UK homes with Internet access

Base: *UK homes, Nov ‘02 (Base: 2312)

* Note – Figures up to March 2000 are based on GB population and are taken from MORI’s Technology Tracker. Figures from May 2000 onwards include Northern Ireland and therefore represent the UK adult population.

 Figure 3b: % adult population with PC and Internet at home

Base: UK residential consumers aged 15+, Nov ‘02 (Base: 2312)

* Nb. GB only - Deprivation index is based on a composite score of the level of unemployment, overcrowding, non-car ownership and non-home ownership in an area. The index is only available for the UK mainland (ie excluding Northern Ireland) this quarter. 46% of GB adults are classified as living in areas of low deprivation, 47% in areas of medium deprivation and 7% in areas of high deprivation.

Internet usage outside the home

3.2 A further 8% of UK adults access the Internet from locations other than home. Combined with those accessing from home this equates to half of all adults using the Internet. There has been little change in this figure since first reported in August 2001. Further details on use of alternative access points are discussed in chapter 8.

 Chapter 4

Connection methods, ISPs, and packages used

Access method

4.1 The fall in use of ordinary phone line/dial up access has been sustained this wave, currently used by 8 out of 10 Internet homes, as shown in figure 4a. There has been a corresponding rise in use of faster access methods such as ADSL and cable modem, confirmed by Industry subscriber figures as detailed below.

Figure 4a: Penetration of methods used by consumers to access the Internet at home

Base: UK homes with Internet access, Nov ‘02 (Base: 925, 3% ‘don’t knows’ have been excluded)

4.2 Consumers most likely to use non-dial up access are younger to middle aged, ABC1’s and high income groups.

4.3 Subscriber figures from November ’02 suggest that approximately 9% of UK homes with Internet currently use ADSL (3%) or cable modem (6%). While these figures are slightly lower than those reported in the consumer survey (which are subject to error margins of about +/- 2-3%), they confirm that use of broadband is on the increase, up from 6% in May ’02.

Type of Internet package used

4.4 Use of unmetered packages remains stable at around 6 in 10 homes (63%) with Internet using either a fully or partially unmetered package. Excluding those currently using a broadband unmetered package (around 9% according to subscriber figures), just over half (54%) of homes with Internet use a narrowband unmetered (see note three below) package, similar to last quarter however, this includes 4% using an ISDN line.

Figure 4b: Main type of Internet package used at home

Base: UK homes with Internet access – all access methods, Nov ‘02 (Base: 925, 24% ‘don’t knows’ have been excluded)

* survey sample changed in May ’02, these results were largely unaffected, full details in annex B

4.5 3 in 10 Internet homes use a pay-as-you-go, calls only package and the remaining 7% continue to pay a subscription as well as all calls whilst online. Subscription and calls packages are generally aimed at businesses, hence the low use amongst residential consumers in comparison to other Internet packages.

4.6 Use of the different packages has remained fairly stable over recent months. The main consumers using unmetered packages are ABC1s, younger to middle aged, higher income groups, larger households and heavier Internet users.

Switching access method and package

4.7 Overall the vast majority (84%) of consumers with home Internet access have never used an alternative method than currently, to connect to the Internet. Those currently using PSTN are most likely to have connected straight to the Internet (94%) while broadband users are more likely to have upgraded from an alternative type of connection (67%), as shown in figures 4c and 4d.

4.8 Three quarters of narrowband unmetered users connected straight to the Internet via this type of package, whilst the remainder upgraded from metered packages – either pay as you go or subscription and calls packages. Switching away from unmetered is significantly less evident – 17% of those currently using a narrowband metered package previously used unmetered.

Figure 4e: Previous connection method/package used

Base: Internet homes using DSL/cable modem, Oct ’02 (Base: *44)

* small base so treat results with caution

4.9 In comparison, a third of customers using a broadband DSL or cable modem connection were not previously connected to the Internet and therefore connected straight to broadband. The significant remainder switched from various connection methods and packages as shown above. Overall, around half (48%) of broadband users upgraded from a narrowband unmetered package and 9% from metered. However, the base size for this group is small so apply caution.

ISPs used

4.10 Consumers with home Internet access continue to be making use of a range of ISPs. BT (22%), Freeserve (19%) and AOL (19%) are the most popular choices within the residential Internet market. [NB this is not the same as the proportion of consumers using each ISP as some are using more than one and the results are only indicative of ISP market shares]. Whilst NTL’s rise last quarter has not been sustained, the longer term trend indicates that this has been growing fairly steadily since August 2000.

Figure 4f: ISP share of UK residential homes with Internet access (based on all ISPs consumer use)

Base: All ISPs used in UK homes with Internet access, Nov ‘02 (Base: 963, 10% don’t knows have been excluded)

Figure 4g: ISP share of UK residential homes with Internet access (based on all ISPs consumers use)

Base: All ISPs used in UK homes with Internet access Nov ‘02 (Base: 963, 10% ‘don’t knows’ have been excluded)

( – Shares of less than 2%, included in the ‘Other’ category)

Notes:

3.This will be calculated by deducting up to date subscriber figures from the proportion of unmetered users until the survey figures more accurately represent the proportion of broadband users as there still seems to be some confusion amongst consumers as to their access method.

Chapter 5

General household use of the Internet

Weekly time spent online

5.1 The average amount of time consumers are spending online at home remains at 9 hours. This has remained broadly unchanged over the last 12 months.

5.2 Broadband users are currently spending almost twice as long as average online per week – 17 hours. This compares to 11 hours spent online per week by narrowband unmetered users and an average 4 hours for those using a narrowband metered package such as subscription and calls or calls only packages. The average amount of time spent on line amongst each of these groups remains broadly similar to recent quarters.

Figure 5a: Average weekly household time spent online

Base: UK homes connected to the Internet, Nov ‘02 (Base: 925)

5.3 The profile of heavier users also remains broadly similar to recent quarters – younger to middle aged Internet customers, larger households, broadband, and unmetered customers.

Chapter 6

Broadband services

Awareness of broadband services

6.1 Currently 7 out of 10 Internet customers not currently using broadband for their home Internet access are aware of this type of connection, rising to around 8 in 10 (78%) when including those currently using the service. In February ’02 just over half (53%) of all Internet customers were aware of broadband. It is likely that the recent BT advertising campaign has impacted greatly on broadband awareness.

6.2 Awareness is highest amongst men, higher social grades, and higher income groups. Age no longer seems to affect awareness, currently ranging from 68% amongst older consumers (55+) to 73% amongst the youngest age groups (15-34).

6.3 Consumers using narrowband unmetered products were significantly more aware of broadband services (81%) than those using metered packages (68%). .

Interest in finding out more information on broadband

6.4 On the whole interest in finding out more about broadband services was low in comparison to awareness at 32%, 14% very and 18% fairly interested. Men (37%), AB social grades (38%), high-income groups (43%) and heavier Internet users (38%) were amongst those most likely to be interested in obtaining more information on broadband services.

6.5 The type of package currently used did not significantly affect interest in finding out more on broadband services ranging from 33% amongst narrowband metered users to 39% amongst narrowband users with an unmetered package. Interestingly, around a quarter (27%) of broadband users were interested in finding out more information on their current service.

6.6 The most popular requests for additional information amongst consumers who were interested in finding out more about broadband services were for prices (71%), information on how it works (32%), the benefits and differences in comparison to other Internet access methods (30%) the names of companies offering the service (28%), and what equipment was required (24%). Various other requests were made but to a slightly lesser extent, these are detailed in figure 6a.

Figure 6a: Additional information required on broadband (unprompted)

Base: UK Internet users interested in finding out more on broadband services, Nov ’02 (Base: 292)

6.7 Of those interested in finding out more about broadband services the most popular place consumers said they would look was the Internet itself (37%) or from their ISP (29%). A quarter (26%) said BT and a further 12% said they would ask their telephone provider. Friends and family was the choice for 1 in 10 consumers interested in finding out more about broadband and 1% mentioned the library. Around 1 in 10 (12%) mentioned various other sources they would go for this type of information such as TV, radio, electrical stores or direct mail.

Users of broadband services

6.8 4 out of 5 broadband customers use the Internet every day. The main reason mentioned for getting broadband was for faster access (57%). Various other reasons mentioned but to a lesser extent were more use of the Internet in general (21%) and faster movement between websites (10%). 8% mentioned the simultaneous voice calls and Internet usage aspect of broadband as their reason for using the service and 6% mentioned the permanent connection.

Figure 6b: Reasons for getting broadband services

Base: UK broadband users, Nov ’02 (Base: 102)

6.9 Nearly all broadband users use their home Internet for email (97%). Other popular uses mentioned were, to search for travel information (80%), exchanging files with friends/family (76%) and general shopping (74%) as shown in figure 6c. Downloading was also popular amongst broadband customer with around 7 out of 10 claiming to download software or upgrades and half, downloading music.

6.10 Half (49%) of broadband customers said they had not experienced any problems with their service. However, the other half mentioned various difficulties such as with the connection (13%), service being slower than expected (12%), or a poor helpline (8%). Virus problems were experienced by some (5%), and various other difficulties each mentioned by less than 5% of customers.

Figure 6c: Household uses of the Internet (prompted)

Base: UK broadband users, Nov ’02 (Base: 102)

Choice of broadband supplier

6.11 Cost and familiarity were the main reasons driving choice of ISP as shown in figure 6d.

Figure 6d: Reasons for choice of broadband ISP, spontaneous mentions

Base: UK broadband customers aged 16+, Nov 02 (Base: 102)

Awareness and interest in SDSL

6.12 SDSL services are similar to ADSL in that they offer a faster service in comparison to standard dial up services however, in addition to the faster downloading speeds with ADSL, SDSL also offer faster uploading speeds. Just over half (54%) of broadband users were aware that downloading speeds of ADSL are faster than the speeds of uploading and half were interested in increasing their uploading capacities, particularly those under the age of 35. 1 in 5 were aware of SDSL services. Sending files (both work related and social), and musical activities were the main applications that those interested in SDSL services felt they would use it for. Just over 2 in 5 had no specific use in mind, interested simply in quicker speeds in general. Those interested would pay an additional £4 on average for double their current upload speed, and about £6 for a ten-fold increase. 2 in 5 however, were not prepared to pay any more than their current broadband charges.

6.13 All of those interested in SDSL services initially claimed they would not consider sacrificing any of their current download speed to achieve greater upload speed, although 2 in 5 said they would be tempted by lower speed SDSL services if prices were significantly lower.

6.14 Satisfaction with current speeds and insufficient use of uploading facilities were the main reasons for lack of interest in SDSL services.

Interest in other services

6.15 A quarter of broadband customers said they would be interested in a set price voice over Internet service that provided unlimited calls and enabled several people in their household to make different calls simultaneously. Cost savings and unlimited calling were the main attractions. £3 was the average that those interested would pay on top of their current broadband subscription for this facility, and 2 in 5 were not prepared to pay anything extra.

6.16 A similar proportion (a quarter) of broadband customers expressed interest in TV-on-demand facilities, where for a set monthly fee they could watch the most popular current TV programmes and a selection of movies (movies on a pay per view basis) at any time they wished. £16 was the average amount those interested said they were prepared to pay for this service.

Chapter 7

Satisfaction with Internet service

7.1 Satisfaction with overall Internet services currently stands at 90%. Satisfaction has remained at around 90% over the past couple of years, but significantly lower than overall satisfaction in both the fixed and mobile markets, which currently stand at 96% and 93% respectively.

7.2 Internet customers remain least satisfied with the speed of access currently 7 out of 10 are satisfied with this aspect, a level which has remained broadly similar in recent months and consistently lower than other aspects of service. Satisfaction with this aspect rises significantly amongst those consumers using broadband Internet access (92%).

Figure 7a: Satisfaction with aspects of home Internet service

Base: UK homes with Internet, Nov ‘02 (Base: 925, ‘don’t knows have been excluded)

7.3 Customers using a narrowband unmetered package at home are significantly less satisfied (81%) than either narrowband metered (88%) or broadband users (90%) with the quality and reliability of their service. Perhaps this relates to the issue of speed and the higher awareness of broadband services which although more expensive, may appear to offer a better quality service and than narrowband unmetered packages.

7.4 In addition, broadband customers were asked about satisfaction with costs ie. monthly subscription charges (91%), customer service (69%), downloading (92%) and uploading speeds (89%).

Chapter 8

Internet use outside of the home

8.1 Half of UK adults (approximately 23 million) currently use the Internet either at home, work, school or various other locations. The workplace remains the most popular place to access the Internet other than at home – currently used by 15% of consumers.

8.2 There has been little change in these figures over the past year. Approximately a quarter (26%) of UK adults access the Internet in locations outside the home. Most of this usage is by consumers who also have the Internet at home.

Figure 8a: % adults using Internet in various locations at least once a month

Base: UK residential consumers aged 15+, Nov ‘02 (Base: 2312)

8.3 Currently 8% of adults don’t have access to the Internet at home and claim to access the Internet elsewhere. However, alternative access points are generally more popular amongst customers who already have Internet access at home.

Use of email instead of fixed voice calls

9.1 Three quarters of adults with home Internet access claim to send emails instead of making calls from their fixed line at home, just over a quarter (27%) frequently do so as shown in figure 9a below. This equates to around a third (35%) of all adults sending emails instead of some fixed voice calls. This is consistent with recent market information, which suggests falling local call volumes however, this may also be a reflection of use of mobiles over fixed calls.

Figure 9a: Frequency use email instead of fixed voice calls

Base: All with home Internet, Oct ’02 (Base: 469)

9.2 Amongst those sending emails rather than making a fixed voice call are men, older consumers (55+) and higher social grades – AB’s.

9.3 Consumers were asked about various instances when they send emails rather than making voice calls, as shown in figure 9b. The most popular was to make an enquiry or request information – mentioned by almost two thirds of those who substitute fixed voice calls with email. Half claim to send emails abroad for cost reasons and 42% send emails abroad due to time differences – this equates to 60% who send emails abroad rather than making a call from their home fixed line. About a third (36%) said they send emails for cost savings generally.

Figure 9b: Reasons for sending emails over voice calls from fixed line at home

Base: Internet homes ever email rather than use fixed line at home, Oct ‘02 (Base: 347)

Use of text instead of fixed voice calls

9.4 Around 4 in 10 (42%) mobile customers claim to send text over fixed voice calls at home. These are generally women, younger consumers, C2 social grades and homes with children. A third of mobile customers who ever replace voice calls with text do so when the home phone line is connected to the Internet. More details of consumers use of text rather than fixed and mobile voice calls are within the consumers’ use of fixed and mobile telephony reports – http://www.oftel.gov.uk/consumer/about/research/index.htm 

 Annex A

Details of changes to quarterly survey sample

In April 2002, Oftel changed the market research agency we use to conduct the fieldwork for our UK quarterly residential surveys. At the same time we took the opportunity to refine the sample and methodology used to conduct these surveys.

The changes are as follows:

Methodology

Our surveys were previously carried on a national in home, face-to-face, CAPI omnibus survey. They are now conducted as a stand-alone Oftel survey (ie not on a shared omnibus), conducted on paper rather than CAPI, and remain in home and face-to-face.

The advantages of this new methodology include:

• giving us more flexibility in terms of who and where we interview (see below for further details);
• shorter interview for respondents (reducing potential respondent fatigue) as it is now a stand-alone Oftel survey, and is not combined with a variety of other topics on an omnibus survey; and
• enabling respondents to focus on telecoms issues specifically (and hence provide potentially better quality answers) rather than thinking about the variety of diverse topics that can appear on an omnibus.

Sample

The sample remains a representative sample of UK adults aged 15+, representative in terms of age, gender, social grade, working status, and region.

The changes include:

• Greater representation of rural and deprived areas (due to the limitations of an omnibus in reaching some of these areas).
• Controls are now set on the proportion of interviews conducted in cabled and non-cabled areas to ensure they are included in their natural proportions. Since the omnibus is not telecoms-specific, cabled status was left to fall out naturally, and no quotas were set on the number of interviews in cabled vs non-cabled areas.

These refinements enable us to control for or investigate in greater detail issues that are particularly likely to influence telecoms usage. The implications of these changes are that some of the results will be affected. To understand what changes are due to these sample and methodology changes, and what changes are real changes in the market, the key tracking questions were repeated on the omnibus in May, in parallel to the first wave of new survey as a control sample.

The main measures affected are take-up of mobile and Internet. These are lower amongst the new sample as would be expected given the higher proportion of deprived areas now included in the sample – respondents who traditionally are less likely to have these technologies. Results from both May surveys were discussed in the report (and continue be shown in this report) to distinguish changes resulting from the sample and real changes in consumer behaviour. This should enable the reader to place the new figures (from which subsequent quarters’ trend data continue) in the context of the previous trend data.

 Annex B

Details of changes on Internet package

Internet packages

Since February ’02 the quarterly surveys have included alternative questions to establish the type of Internet package being used. The original question was fairly complex and lengthy with scope for misinterpretation amongst consumers, particularly bearing in mind that the respondent is not always the Internet decision maker.

Original question

Q. Which of these statements best describes the package provided by your households main Internet service provider (ISP)?

I/we pay monthly/annual subscription and cost of calls whilst online
I/we pay no subscription fee and pay cost of online calls only
I/we pay monthly/annual subscription which gives unlimited free usage, and pay no call costs
I/we pay monthly/annual subscription which gives free usage at certain times or for certain amount of time, but pay for calls costs at other times

Revised questions

Q. Thinking about your households main ISP, do you have to pay a subscription fee for the package provided? This might include free usage time and normally is paid on a monthly or annual basis?

Yes/No

Q. Do you ever pay any per minute call charges for the time you spend online?

Pay per minute call charges for all the time spent online
Pay per minute call charges for some but not all the time spent online
Do not pay any per minute call charges for being online

The implications of changing the phrasing of questions are that some of the results will be affected. To understand what changes are due to the revised questions and what changes are real changes in the market, the original question phrasing was run concurrently with these revised questions for three quarters. Results from both sets are shown below.

As shown in figure a and b above, the main impact of changing the questions was respondents moving from the subscription and calls category to unmetered. Use of calls only packages remained broadly similar.

Results from the revised question phrasing were compared to other consumer Internet surveys conducted on behalf of Which? and NOP. Findings were that results from the revised questions were more comparable than from the previous question.

As shown above use of the various packages has remained broadly similar over recent months as indicated in results from both sets of questions.

Annex C

November 2002 residential questionnaire and ad hoc questionnaires

ASK ALL
Q1. Do you or does anyone in your household have access to the Internet/world wide web at home (via any device eg PC, TV, mobile phone)

ASK ALL
Q2. Do you or does anyone in your household have a PC (by PC we mean laptop or any other computer)?

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q3. Which of these does your household use to access the Internet at home?

PC/laptop
TV
Mobile phone/device
Personal organiser/digital assistant
Games console
Other

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q4. And which of these types of connection does your household use to connect to the Internet at home?

Ordinary phone line/dial up access using a modem
ISDN line - mid speed access which can allow voice calls at the same time as using the Internet
DSL - high speed broadband access much faster than an ordinary phone - always on unmetered access. You can make vice calls at the same time as using the Internet
Cable modem - high speed broadband access from cable company, much faster than ordinary phone - always on unmetered access. You can make voice calls at the same time as using the Internet
High speed access via another method - eg satellite, fibre optic, fixed wireless or leased line
Other

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET NOT USING BROADBAND
Q5. Broadband Internet services such as DSL or cable modem allow you to be permanently connected to the Internet for a set fee and offer much faster Internet access than an ordinary phone line. You do not have to pay call charges for the time you spend online, and you can use the same line to make voice calls while you are using the Internet. Before now were you aware of broadband Internet services? SINGLE CODE

Yes
No
Don't know/ not sure/ no answer

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q6. How interested are you in finding out more about broadband Internet services?

Very interested
Fairly interested
Not very interested
Not at all interested

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN BROADBAND
Q7. What would you like to know about broadband services?

Which companies offer broadband
Price of broadband services
How to get broadband services
How it works
What equipment I need
Potential applications / what I can use it for
How it differs from other Internet access / what benefits it offers
Other (WRITE IN)
Don't know

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN BROADBAND
Q8. Where would you go to look for this type of information?
Current Internet Service Provider
From my telephone supplier
From BT
From the library
From the Internet
From friends / family
Others (WRITE IN)

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q9. Which Internet service provider does your household currently use (including free ISPs)?

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q10 Thinking about your households main ISP, do you have to pay a subscription fee for the package provided? This might include free usage time and normally is paid on a monthly or annual basis?

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q11 Do you ever pay any per minute call charges for the time you spend online?

Pay per minute call charges for all the time spent online
Pay per minute call charges for some but not all the time spent online
Do not pay any per minute call charges for being online

ASK ALL WTH INTERNET
Q12. Which of these statements best describes the package provided by your households main Internet service provider (ISP)?

I/we pay monthly/annual subscription and cost of calls whilst online
I/we pay no subscription fee and pay cost of online calls only
I/we pay monthly/annual subscription which gives unlimited free usage, and pay no call costs
I/we pay monthly/annual subscription which gives free usage at certain times or for certain amount of time, but pay for calls costs at other times

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q13. How many hours would you say you and members of your household spend using the Internet at home in a typical week?

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q14. How satisfied are you with the following

Your home Internet service overall
The speed of your home Internet service
The quality and reliability of your home Internet service
The overall value for money of your home Internet service

Very satisfied
Fairly satisfied
Not very satisfied
Not at all satisfied

ASK ALL
Q15. In which if any of the following places do you use the Internet at least once a month?
Your home
Someone else's home
Work
Internet café/shop/kiosk
Library
School/College/University/Other learning centre
Community or voluntary organisation
Somewhere else

Ad hoc questionnaire - ICM Research

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q1. Have you ever used anything other than [insert connection method used at Q2 (i.e. ordinary phoneline, ISDN line, Broadband DSL, broadband via cable, High speed access via other method)] to connect to the Internet at home? SINGLE CODE
Yes
No
DK

ASK IF USED DIFFERNET ACCESS METHOD
Q2. What type of connection did you use previously? SINGLE CODE

Ordinary phone line - dial up access using a modem
ISDN line - mid speed access/faster than an ordinary phone. You can make voice calls at the same time as using the Internet
Broadband DSL/ADSL - high-speed broadband access / much faster than ordinary phone - is always on and unmetered access. You can make voice calls at the same time as using the Internet
Broadband via cable - high speed broadband access from cable company / much faster than ordinary phone - is always on and unmetered access. You can make voice calls at the same time as using the Internet
High speed access via another method e.g. satellite, fibre optic, fixed, wireless or leased line
Other
Don't know

ASK ALL WITH INTERNET
Q3. Have you ever used an unmetered package where you pay a set monthly or quarterly charge for unlimited usage for some or all of the time you are online? SINGLE CODE

Yes
No
DK

ASK ALL USING UNMETERED
Q4. Have you ever used a pay as you go package where you pay for all your calls whilst online perhaps in addition to a set monthly or quarterly charge? SINGLE CODE

Yes
No
DK

ASK THOSE WITH INTERNET AND FIXED PHONE
Q5. How often, if ever, do you send emails instead of making a call from your fixed phone at home? READ OUT, SINGLE CODE
Frequently
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

ASK THOSE SENDING EMAIL INSTEAD OF CALLING (Q7=1-3)
Q6 Thinking about when you send emails rather than make calls from your fixed phone at home, which if any, of the following statements apply to you? READ OUT, MULTICODE

I send emails instead of fixed calls because they are cheaper
I send emails instead of fixed calls for privacy
I send emails instead of fixed calls abroad because they are cheaper
I send emails instead of fixed calls abroad due to time differences
I send emails to make enquiries or to request information instead of making fixed calls
I send emails instead of making fixed calls for some other reason

Ad hoc questionnaire - Continental Research

ASK ALL
Q1. Do you have broadband Internet access at home via either an ADSL (assymetric digital subscriber line) or cable modem connection?

Broadband Internet access offers high speed Internet access enabling you to download information and content up to 10 times faster than via your existing phone line. It also means you are permanently connection to the Internet and don't have to dial up each time you want to use it.

Yes - ADSL
Yes - cable modem
Yes - not sure which type of connection (but not ISDN)
No
Don't know

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q2. And were you the person in your household who mainly decided to get broadband and chose which ISP to use for your connection
Yes
No
Equal decision with other household member

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q3. Which telecoms provider supplies the telephone lines in your home?
BT
Telewest
NTL
Other cable company
Other

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q4. And which Internet service provider to you currently use for your broadband Internet connection at home?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q5. What were your main reasons for choosing [ISP} for your broadband service rather than one of the other ISPs?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q6. What were your main reasons for getting broadband Internet at home? PROBE: What others?
Faster access to the Internet
Faster movement between websites and from page to page
Permanent connection to online services
Continuous access to email
More reliable service
Can use one line for voice calls and Internet access simultaneously
View webcasts
Listen to Internet radio
Download movies
Download music files
Exchange file attachments more quickly
Word of mouth recommendation
Just to use the Internet more in general
Other (SPECIFY)

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q7. For which of these services do you/does your household use the Internet
Banking
Buying and selling shares
Download music files
Exchange file attachments with friends and family
Exchange file attachments with work colleagues
Interactive gaming
Listen to Internet radio
Sending and receiving email
Shopping
Sports betting and online gambling
Surfing with no specific purpose, to pass the time
To download software or upgrades
Travel information (tourist guides, timetables, hotels, holidays)
View webcasts
Other (SPECIFY)
None of these (DO NOT READ OUT)
Don't know (DO NOT READ OUT)

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q8. Overall, how satisfied are you with your broadband Internet service?
READ OUT. SINGLE CODE.

Very satisfied
Fairly satisfied
Not very satisfied
Not at all satisfied

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q9. And how satisfied are you with the following aspects of your broadband Internet service?
Monthly subscription cost
Reliability
Internet service provider customer service
Access speeds once online
Speed of downloading files and receiving files to your computer
Speed of sending files from your computer

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q10. What problems, if any, have you or your household experienced with your broadband package?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q11. As you probably know, existing broadband packages (i.e. those available via ADSL or cable modem) provide high speed Internet access enabling you to download information and content up to 10 times faster than an ordinary phoneline Internet service. However, this increased speed only relates to information and content you download from the Internet TO your computer (for example, movies, music and so on). Current broadband packages are only slightly faster than an ordinary phoneline for information you upload, i.e. send via the Internet FROM your computer (for example, sending files to someone else, interactive online gaming etc.) Were you aware of this before we called you today?

Yes
No
DK

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q12. Bearing this in mind, how interested would you be in receiving a broadband Internet service that provided faster uploading speeds?
Very interested
Fairly interested
Not very interested
Not at all interested

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN FASTER SPEEDS
Q13. Why would you be interested in faster uploading speeds? PROBE: For which Internet applications or services would you find this useful?
Graphic design
Interactive gaming
Online gambling
Sending data files to friends and family
Sending work-related data files
Other (SPECIFY

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN FASTER SPEEDS
Q14. How much extra, on top of your existing broadband package, would you be prepared to pay per month to double your upload speed?

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN FASTER SPEEDS
Q15. And how much extra, on top of your existing broadband package, would you be prepared to pay per month to increase your upload speed by up to 10 times?

ASK ALL NOT INTERESTED IN FASTER SPEEDS
Q16. Why would you not be interested in faster uploading speeds? PROBE: Why else?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q17. Some broadband packages do currently provide the same speed for uploading and downloading data. These are known as Symmetric Internet Access Services. Had you heard of these before we called you today?
Yes
No
DK

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q18. How interested would you be in receiving a broadband Internet service that provided an upload speed which matched your current download capacity?
Very interested
Fairly interested
Not very interested
Not at all interested
DK
ASK ALL INTERESTED IN ADSL
Q19. How much extra, on top of your existing broadband package, would you be prepared to pay per month for such a service?

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN ADSL
Q20. And how interested would you be in increasing your upload speed by decreasing your current download speed by the same amount?
Very interested
Fairly interested
Not very interested
Not at all interested
DK

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN ADSL
Q21. And which of the following statements best describes your view of Symmetric Services?
I would be willing to sacrifice some of my current download speed to achieve the symmetric service
I would only be interested in a symmetric service if this meant that my upload speed matched my current download speed

ASK ALL INTERESTED IN EQUALISING UPLOAD SPEEDS
Q22. How likely would you be to consider a symmetric service at a lower speed than your current downloading speed if the price was significantly lower?
Very likely
Quite likely
Not very likely
Not at all likely

ASK ALL NOT INTERESTED IN ADSL
Q23. Why would you not be interested in such a service? PROBE: Why else?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q24. Would you prefer to take both broadband Internet and voice telephony services from the same supplier or from different suppliers or do you have no preference?
Same supplier
Different suppliers
No preference

ASK IF PREFER SAME SUPPLIER
Q25. How much extra, on top of your existing broadband package, would you be prepared to pay per month to allow you to take these two services from the same supplier?

ASK IF PREFER DIFFERENT SUPPLIER

Q26. How much extra, on top of your existing broadband package, would you be prepared to pay per month to allow you to take these two services from different supplier?

ASK ALL WITH BROADBAND
Q27. How interested would you be in a service where you make and receive voice calls over the Internet, you pay a monthly subscription allowing you to make an unlimited number of calls to any number and several people could make calls at the same time?
Very interested
Fairly interested
Not very interested
Not at all interested
DK