Telecommunications operator-reported revenue in the United Kingdom (UK) 2007-2021

Telecom operators in the United Kingdom (UK) reported earning revenues of 31.1 billion British pounds in 2021, the fifth consecutive year in which revenues reduced. Revenues have declined overall over the past several years, falling from 42.1 billion British pounds in 2007.

Major telcos in the UK

As in other markets, major telcos generate the majority of overall revenue in the United Kingdom. BT Group, for example, took in revenues amounting to 23.46 billion British pounds in 2019, 69.67 percent of the total operator-reported revenue. Vodafone generated 6.27 billion British pounds in the same year.

Changing revenue streams

Telecommunications operators have had to adapt to evolving revenue streams, in response to changing technology and user behaviour. Average revenue per user (ARPU) is lower overall, falling from 15.57 British pounds in the first quarter of 2014, to 13.02 British pounds in the fourth quarter of 2019. Companies such as Vodafone have seen a decrease, particularly in the ARPU from contract customers, which fell by 1.2 British pounds from the levels seen in Q1 2018/2019.
SMS and voice calls, once the foundation of a typical mobile contract, are now being replicated using apps that fulfil the same function over the data network. Two of the most popular messaging apps – Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger – regularly achieve hundreds of thousands of downloads each month on android devices alone.