Mobile network operators in the UK saw their annual revenues decline by 2.3 percent to EUR 5.3 billion in the fourth quarter, Telecompaper's latest report on the UK mobile industry revealed. As in many other countries, the drop was attributed to non-voice services revenues (SMS and data) not able to offset the fall in voice revenues. The UK mobile Sim base, excluding MVNOs, grew by 362,000 in Q4 to 76.2 million, an increase of 863,000 customers from the year before, as more postpaid customers were gained than prepaid customers lost. The fourth quarter marked the first quarter that postpaid made up more than half of the market, with 50.3 percent of all customers now on postpaid plans. The increase in mobile penetration slowed, going from 120.3 percent at the end of 2010 to 120.7 percent one year later. Everything Everywhere remained market leader in the UK, with 35 percent of all customers, followed by Telefonica O2 (O2 UK) and Vodafone UK. The last and smallest player was 3 UK, with a 10.0 percent share of the market. Telecompaper estimates a small increase of around 1 percent in service revenues in 2012, for total turnover of around EUR 21.3 billion.
