12 December 2007
Rates of digital TV ownership in the UK are the highest in the world, a new Ofcom report revealed today.
A survey from the media watchdog showed that 76% of British households had digital TVs - comfortably beating other developed nations such as Japan (67%) and the US (61%).
The high rate of digital take up appears to be driven by the increasing popularity of "bundled" offers in Britain, which incorporate phone, internet and pay-TV services in a single package.
According to Ofcom, 40% of households owned such a "triple play" package in 2007 - compared with 29% last year.
TV habits also seem to be changing somewhat due to the rise of the internet, Ofcom found, with 30% of poll respondents in the UK saying that they watched it less due to their web use.
Digital TV ownership rates are sure to rise still further in the years to come, as the UK's old analogue signals are to be shut off over the next few years.
Earlier this year, two Cumbria towns became the first in the country to complete the digital switchover - with the Borders region as a whole to follow in early 2009.
London will be the last area in the UK to switch off its analogue sets in 2012.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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