ACCORDING TO OFCOM’S latest annual report into the UK's £51 billion communications industry, we’re spending more time using communications services than ever before - but paying less for them.

Our mobile phone and Internet use has increased by the greatest amount. Between 2002 and 2007 the time we spent talking and texting on our mobiles is up by 50 per cent. While, time spent on PCs and lap-tops has grown from six minutes to 24 minutes per person every day.

However, even though we are using our devices more, we are actually getting more for our money. This is good news for technology, as the credit crunch doesn’t seem to have affected it half as much as other goods prices.

Ofcom’s report suggests that discounts from package deals, lower pricing on broadband services and bargain hunting for the best deal are the three main reasons for paying less for our services.

The increase in mobile broadband devices has also resulted in around two million adults in the UK saying that they had used a data card, USB modem or dongle to access the internet in March 2008.

UK consumers favour their dongles in this area, as the number of dongle sales to consumers nearly doubled from 69,000 to 133,000 a month between February and June this year.

When looking into TV viewing, Ofcom found that although the time spend watching TV has increased slightly, we are now far more in control of our viewing thanks to services such as Sky +.

Peter Phillips, Partner, Strategy and Market Development, explains that, "We are spending more and more time with our communications devices but spending less on them. Our devotion to watching, listening and staying in touch wherever and whenever we want shows no sign of diminishing and, with
healthy competition, overall prices offer increasing value for money." µ