2018-超高速宽带覆盖：国际基准测试报告（英文版）

Summary of International Benchmarking Report for BT

Core Content

This report, prepared for BT, is an independent assessment of the UK's fixed telecoms market, comparing it with the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) and non-European countries (Japan, South Korea, and the USA) in terms of availability, take-up, competition, and pricing of broadband and superfast broadband services.

Main Points

1. Executive Summary

• Ofcom initiated a strategic review of the UK's digital communications market in March 2015.
• The report compares the UK with other countries on key metrics such as availability, take-up, and pricing.
• The UK performs well on most metrics and is expected to maintain this position through 2020.
• The UK is ahead of other EU5 countries in superfast broadband coverage and is projected to be among the best-performing in the world by 2020.
• The UK's strong performance is attributed to its competitive market and low wholesale prices for superfast broadband services.

2. Availability

• Superfast Broadband Coverage:
  • At the end of 2014, the UK had the highest coverage in the EU5, with 78% of premises passed by at least one superfast broadband network.
  • By 2020, the UK is expected to still have higher coverage than other EU5 countries, though the lead over the Western European average will decrease to less than 10 percentage points.
  • The UK will surpass the USA in 2015 and approach Japan by 2019.
• Incumbent Coverage:
  • BT leads in the percentage of premises passed by superfast broadband among EU5 incumbents.
  • By 2020, the gap with other incumbents will narrow to between 5% and 16%.
• Non-European Countries:
  • Japan and South Korea have very high coverage (96% and 90% respectively) due to long-term investment in fibre.
  • The USA has a fragmented market, leading to lower coverage compared to the UK.

3. Average Measured Downstream Bandwidth

• Downstream bandwidth data is inconsistent across sources, but the UK's performance is generally in line with other EU5 countries.
• According to Ookla and Akamai, the UK has average downstream speeds of around 38Mbit/s and 11.6Mbit/s, respectively.
• Ofcom's data places the UK at 22.6Mbit/s, between the two figures.
• The UK's broadband speeds are expected to improve as superfast networks expand.

4. Use of Public Money to Fund Superfast Broadband

• The UK government's approach to funding superfast broadband is more cost-effective and relies heavily on private-sector investment.
• The UK's total government funding is GBP1.73 billion, with BDUK's GBP790 million matched by local authority funds.
• The cost per premise passed is lower in the UK (GBP130) compared to other countries (e.g., Australia at GBP4961 per premise passed).
• Other countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore have committed significant public funds to their superfast broadband initiatives, but the UK's strategy is seen as more efficient and scalable.

5. Take-up and Competition

• Take-up of Fixed Broadband:
  • The UK had the highest broadband penetration in the EU5 in 2014, with over 78% of premises connected.
  • By 2020, the UK is expected to have close to 90% of premises connected to fixed broadband, surpassing the Western European average of 76%.
• Take-up of Superfast Broadband:
  • The UK is expected to lead in superfast broadband take-up by 2020, with 78% penetration compared to the Western European average of 55%.
  • The UK's early rollout and competitive market environment are key drivers of this higher adoption.
  • By 2018 and 2019, the UK is expected to surpass Japan and the USA in superfast broadband take-up, and to be within 12 percentage points of South Korea by 2020.
• Unbundled Local Loop (LLU) Penetration:
  • The UK has a high level of LLU penetration, with around 40% of broadband connections using unbundled loops by 2014.
  • France has a higher LLU penetration due to its policy promoting infrastructure competition.
  • LLU in the UK is driven by alternative operators gaining market share and transferring connections to unbundled loops.

6. Intensity of Competition in Fixed Broadband

• The UK has the most competitive fixed broadband market in the study, with a high number of providers and a low Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI).
• The UK's HHI is lower than other EU5 countries, indicating a more competitive market.
• The presence of multiple providers, including BT Retail, Virgin Media, Sky, and TalkTalk, contributes to this competitive environment.
• Smaller operators like Zen Internet also exert pressure on larger providers, keeping prices low and services diverse.

7. Pricing

• Retail Pricing:
  • The UK's retail broadband and narrowband prices are competitive, especially compared to the Western European average.
  • The UK is among the lowest or second lowest in pricing for all services.
• Wholesale Pricing:
  • The UK has the lowest wholesale prices for superfast broadband, broadband, and narrowband services.
  • This supports the competitive retail market and helps maintain affordability.

Key Information

• The UK's superfast broadband rollout is expected to continue leading the EU5 and approach global benchmarks by 2020.
• The UK's competitive market, supported by low wholesale prices and high LLU penetration, is a key factor in its strong performance.
• The UK's approach to funding superfast broadband is more cost-effective than other countries, leveraging private-sector investment.
• The report highlights the importance of early and rapid deployment of superfast broadband for higher adoption rates and long-term benefits.