Ofcom finds fewer home phone customers receiving silent calls

Silent and abandoned calls to mobile and home phones are causing harm to fewer consumers, according to new research from Ofcom.

The telecoms regulator's latest Consumer Experience report revealed 23 per cent of respondents were targeted by abandoned calls this year, down from 35 per cent in 2009.

Furthermore, just under a quarter of people experienced a silent call during 2011, compared to almost a third in 2009.

In 2010, more than 70 per cent of those who received silent calls claimed to have been contacted twice or more in a day by the same company.

This reduction follows the launch of enforcement action by Ofcom against firms that failed to comply with its rules on abandoned and silent calls.

Homeserve, nPower and TalkTalk are currently facing action from the watchdog regarding the matter and could potentially be facing fines of up to £2 million.

Complaints about broadband speeds have also dropped, with 30 per cent of users experiencing slower-than-expected capabilities in 2010 - five percentage points less than last year.

Claudio Pollack, Ofcom's consumer group director, said: "We are pleased that companies are getting the message that silent calls are unacceptable."