| The UK broadband market is notoriously crowded | | | | telecoms companies are trying to secure long |
| but has become smaller over the last few years, | | | | term relationships to recoup the amount they |
| as a minority of very successful Internet Service | | | | have hadto pay to entice new customers in. |
| Providers (ISPs) have begun to dominate the | | | | Therefore they need to be able to offer |
| market. Experts now predict that the industry is | | | | broadband, mobile and fixed phone lines so that |
| about to see a period of consolidation, where | | | | customers have a 'one-stop shop' for their |
| more ISPs are taken over and the broadband | | | | communication needs. |
| market starts to merge with other markets, | | | | The UK broadband market is currently in the |
| including mobile telephony. | | | | middle of a price war, which has led to some |
| The UK broadband market is still very crowded in | | | | clever bundling of products. To date, this mainly |
| terms of ISPs, and you have some big winners | | | | means fixed phone and broadband services, but |
| and some also-rans. A period of consolidation | | | | why not add mobile and TV content into the mix? |
| makes sense for businesses and consumers, as | | | | BT is expected to launch a Broadband TV |
| traditional mobile operators have the global | | | | product shortly and Channel 4 now offers new |
| financial muscle to buy out some of the smaller | | | | episodes of Desperate Housewives and Lost via |
| UK broadband ISPs. | | | | its website. |
| The convergence between mobile, broadband and | | | | Recent press reports have also suggested that |
| fixed line operators has already begun: NTL | | | | Vodafone and O2 are looking to enter the UK's |
| already owns Virgin mobile and Wanadoo is | | | | fixed line marketplace, simply to acquire |
| re-branding to Orange. For consumers, this means | | | | broadband customers. Telefonica, the parent |
| that you'll soon be able to pay for all your | | | | company of O2, is Spain's largest provider of |
| communication - internet, home phone and mobile | | | | internet TV services, and this will surly push O2 to |
| - on one bill. Are Vodafone, O2 and 3Mobile at risk | | | | either enter the UK market independently or |
| of being left behind as the bundle becomes ever | | | | acquire a leading UK ISP. |
| more prominent as a marketing strategy? | | | | We may also find that if Channel 4 viewers have |
| T-Mobile has announced its intention to offer a | | | | an appetite for TV over broadband, some of the |
| wireless broadband service via 3rd generation | | | | other commercial broadcasters may decide to |
| mobile networks, and the TalkTalk 'free | | | | have a closer look at some ISPs, because at the |
| broadband' offer has redefined customers' | | | | moment the advertising potential of this |
| expectations in terms of value for money. The | | | | distribution is largely being ignored. |