Connectivity market places focus on value for money

A study by EY has shown that network reliability remains a pain point, with over a quarter of digital respondents still experiencing unreliable home internet.

The research surveyed 20,000 consumers on their attitudes towards technology, media and telecoms experienced in the home across 10 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

One of the leading and most worrying findings was that, despite ongoing network upgrades, households are keen on having a “digital detox”, with 40% of respondents concerned about the amount of time their household members were spending online.

Moreover, smart home technology adoption was at risk of stalling, with consumers voicing concerns about data security, cost and convenience. These amounted to, said EY, challenges that threatened to limit further adoption of connectivity and content products. Across the digital home, respondents also felt overwhelmed because of the volume of choice on offer.

Anxiety over price increases was found to remain pronounced year-on-year, with clear demand for fixed price guarantees. On average, 35% of household respondents indicated that they were willing to trade down to cheaper broadband.

Over two-fifths (43%) were receptive to ad-supported streaming to save on monthly subscription rates, but others were considering premium offerings. Demand across all markets that aggregate content at a premium price has risen to 44%, compared with 40% last year.

On the connectivity side, EY suggested there were various elements service providers could bring together to build premium offerings, with nearly two-fifths (38%) of household respondents saying they’re open to paying more for broadband with attributes. This included additional privacy; security and wellbeing features; good customer service; and backup connectivity in the event of network outages.

Bundles were becoming more important to consumers, with 44% of respondents saying the cost-of-living crisis had made them focus on buying connectivity and content from a single supplier, up from 40% a year ago.

However, just over a third of household respondents (35%) questioned the advantages of buying TV and broadband from the same supplier, underlining that bundle benefits are still subject to scrutiny. The same percentage of household respondents would be willing to drop fixed broadband for a mobile alternative if given what they regarded as a “compelling” price point and performance promise.

“While some consumers are prepared to trade down to save money, there are clear indications of rising receptivity to premium connectivity and content offerings,” said Cédric Foray, EY global telecommunications leader.

“Taking advantage of these positive signals will help providers justify a higher price point during a time when monthly rates are trending upward,” he added. “Service providers have a unique opportunity to respond to this dynamic by offering new packages that exceed expectations in the services provided to help shape future customer relationships.”