ALMOST half of UK fleets are unaware of how much they spend on mobile communications.

Some 48% of companies were unable to estimate the monthly cost of using their system, according to a MORI survey of 300 companies, on behalf of National Band Three, the national mobile communications network. MORI revealed that the mean average monthly mobile communications bill for fleets of up to 70 vehicles is £2,578 and £4,635 for fleets of over 70 vehicles.

The survey showed that mobile phones boast a market share of 84%, followed by paging systems (10%) and public access mobile radio (10%). Companies select their communications systems according to geographical coverage, low running costs and reliability, but only 65% judged that their system provided value for money.