AS THE WHOLESALE pricing legal battle between smaller ISPs and big carriers continues, Solution Research Group’s recent research suggests a segment of households are considering alternatives to their current providers.
While a majority of customers reported their Internet service was robust and problem-free during the periods of high demand during the Covid lockdown, there were some segment of Canadians who reported slowdowns, or their Internet ‘cutting out’, or a lack of network stability in that period.
Nationally, 21% in July 2020 said they considered switching to a different Internet service provider than their current one “in the last six months.” This suggests an accessible market of over 2.5 million households which can be attracted by independents (or other big carriers) with the right messaging and pricing.
SRG asked 1,350 Canadians aged 12 and older about this in July as part of its Connected Home Report 2020.
Regionally, Ontario and Atlantic Canada markets appear more volatile where 25% and 24% respectively said they considered switching. In contrast, Western Canadian customers and those in Quebec appeared less likely to consider a switch.
Households headed by Millennials are most likely to be shopping around (29%), while Empty Nesters are least likely to want to consider other options (18%).
