VANCOUVER – Only one-third of U.S. broadband subscribers would recommend their service provider to a friend, but most do not switch providers themselves, says a new survey from Vancouver-based Incognito Software Systems.
The 2016 Broadband Consumer Quality of Experience (QoE) Survey polled broadband users throughout the United States – encompassing every region of the mainland and every adult age bracket – to obtain 799 complete responses to better understand the level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction among broadband consumers and the reasons behind it.
According to the survey, the most significant influences to subscriber QoE were service speed (45% of respondents), reliable WiFi (31%) and pricing options (21%). Given the choice of improving just one element of their service, 39% said that they would choose to change pricing, followed by speed at 25%.
General web browsing (social media, shopping, online banking, etc.) still accounts for the majority of Internet use, and desktops and laptops are still the devices of choice, but trends are shifting. The survey found that 51% of respondents regularly access the Internet via smartphone, including 67% of 18-24-year-olds. These younger consumers are also 2.5 times more likely to use the Internet primarily to stream music and video.
“In this era of subscriber monetization, it’s essential that broadband providers clearly grasp what’s important to their existing subscribers,” said Incognito president and CEO Stephane Bourque, in the survey’s news release. “As our survey shows, providers are expected to do more than ever before – provide faster speeds, lower prices and superior WiFi capabilities to live up to their subscribers’ demands. To meet this high bar, providers must seek out the appropriate tools to gather smarter network insights, improve device and home network management capabilities, and provide subscribers with tailored services that meet their unique needs.”
Other highlights from the study include:
– Just one tenth of respondents had changed their service provider within the past year, and – though a further 31% had considered it – 32% had not considered a change;
– While the percentages vary by region, suburban dwellers placed a higher emphasis on pricing than their counterparts in urban or rural environments. Some 35% of respondents in urban areas selected pricing as their top element of service followed by 26% for speed, while those in suburban areas chose pricing most frequently at 46% and speed at just 19%. Thirty five percent of rural voters preferred more favorable pricing compared to 26% for faster speeds;
– The growing desire for better WiFi is further reflected by 40% of all respondents selecting “better WiFi hotspot coverage” as their most desired value-added service.
