The 2015 ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index (CEI), reveals that consumers demand Wi-Fi without limits, and highlights a growing disparity between expectation and reality when it comes to Wi-Fi at home. The findings also point to a connection to the expanding ecosystem of devices and the growing popularity of streaming services.
Study Reveals Consumer’s Wi-Fi Expectations vs. Reality
Worldwide, the average home now has six media devices connected to its Wi-Fi network, and the average household spends almost 6.5 hours each week streaming a subscription service. Moreover, four out of five (81 per cent) of those who stream now do so at least weekly, up from 72 per cent just last year. There is a clear connection between Wi-Fi and mobile TV too, with nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of people who watch mobile TV at least once a week, using Wi-Fi to do so.
These trends are a likely culprit of the Internet issues that nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of global consumers experience, as well as their renewed interest in high-speed Internet in every room of the house – a service that 72 per cent indicated was either very important or vitally important.
The good news for service providers is that these trends represent a number of opportunities to make it easier for consumers of all ages to download or stream content, to customize content and services to the individual consumer experience, and solve connectivity issues by giving consumers a high-speed wireless connection where it is needed—all over the home—through better Wi-Fi equipment and training.
Key Findings From The 2015 ARRIS Include
- Good-quality Wi-Fi has become a necessity in homes. 72 per cent of consumers consider a high-speed Internet connection in every room of their house either vitally important or very important.Â
- The popularity of mobile TV is maturing among younger demographics, but future growth will rely on older generations: More than half (59 per cent) of all people now watch mobile TV, rising to 72 per cent of 16-24-year-olds. However, while young people watch the most mobile TV, there has been no increase in the number of viewers.
- Consumers prefer to download vs. stream mobile content: Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of downloading consumers say it is important to be able to download content to a device so they can watch it on the go without an Internet connection, rather than having to rely on cellular connections to stream.
- Binge-viewing has gone solo in 2015: 60 per cent of binge-viewers do so alone, and the average binge-viewing consumer now watches for three hours in each sitting.Â
- Slow Growth in OTT Fails to Draw Broadcast TV Users: The past year has seen a nominal increase in OTT users (from 93 per cent to 94 per cent) and a similarly nominal decrease in broadcast TV users (from 97 per cent to 96 per cent).
Reliable Wi-Fi Is A Necessity In Every Room
Reliable Wi-Fi has become a necessity in homes as the average global household now has an average of six media devices connected to its Wi-Fi network. However, two-thirds (63 per cent) of consumers have experienced significant issues around slow Internet speeds that affect streaming and downloading of large files and video.Â
About The ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index
ARRIS’s Consumer Entertainment Index is a research project looking into the media consumption habits of 19,000 consumers across 19 markets: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, UK, and USA. The research was conducted on behalf of ARRIS by an independent agency, Vanson Bourne.
To access the report, go to: www.arris.com/arriscei
