UK households 'need more than broadband speed promise'
UK households require more than just speed promises, a new survey of 2,500 UK consumers has revealed.
The new research, conducted by EY found that more than half of homeowners prioritise the reliability of their broadband service over speed, with 29 per cent stating that they have struggled with connectivity problems during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the shift to homeworking.
The study also found that 53% are not interested in upgrading to 5G internet, with only 18 per cent planning on committing to the change, while 48 per cent would prioritise the addition of privacy and security features to their broadband package over speed upgrades.
According to EY, almost half of those surveyed don't think that upgrading to high speed internet packages is worth the cost, while 29 per cent say they don't understand what broadband speed means in practice.
Commenting on the research, Praveen Shankar, EY UK & Ireland Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT), stated that network providers need to address the performance issues being faced by UK households. He said: "People want a better reliability guarantee and operators must improve how they communicate that and maximise the role they can play in the post-pandemic household in order to thrive in the future.
"Connectivity providers need to re-assess their value propositions and improve service adjustment experiences to meet customers’ real-world demands and accelerate uptake. Prioritising privacy and security features as part of broadband packages will help them make the most of critical customer needs."
Adrian Baschnonga, EY Global Telecommunications Lead Analyst, added that low consumer interest in 5G must also be addressed by operators, who face the task of reducing the proportion of UK households who are not interested in upgrading from 53 per cent.
"Limited awareness of new mobile capabilities will constrain future adoption unless addressed," he said. "Clear articulation of the benefits of 5G and the quality it offers is essential, particularly as some households weigh up whether a mobile connection can serve their home internet needs."
