Half of UK People Would Pay Extra for Faster 100Mbps Broadband
A new survey of 601 ISPreview.co.uk readers, an impartial and independent information site covering broadband internet providers, reveals that half of people in the UK would still pay extra for a 100Mbps broadband connection even if they could already get a reliable 10Mb.
London, United Kingdom, May 12, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The results from 601 respondents to ISPreview.co.uk's latest survey has revealed that 51.5% of people would pay extra for a next generation superfast 100Mbps broadband connection even if they could already get a "reliable" connection speed of 10Mbps. This suggests that the consumer appetite for such products appears to be very strong, despite the fact that only a few online services could take advantage of such speeds (IPTV etc.).
The same survey also asked how much real-world broadband speed consumers felt would be enough for their needs, with nearly one quarter (24%) claiming to "need" speeds of 50Mbps or more. 21% voted for 20Mbps, 19% needed 10Mbps and 17% would be happy surfing on an 8Mbps connection (8Mb is the most common form of 'Advertised' speed in the UK). Just 7.4% voted for 4Mbps and 6.8% for 2Mbps packages.
"The news that UK consumers are willing to pay extra for significantly faster speeds will be welcomed by any ISP that is investing heavily in new infrastructure and products," commented ISPreview.co.uk's Editor and Founder, Mark Jackson. "However a note of caution should be sounded. Just because most people would be willing to pay extra doesn't mean to say they'd pay through the nose, prices must still be reasonable. Broadband didn't turn into a truly mass market service until after it was both widespread and affordable.
"Similarly we must also remember that even a 100Mbps connection is unlikely to be capable of delivering such speeds to everybody. Broadband has always been a 'best efforts' service where bandwidth (the data you consume while surfing the internet) is shared between many users. Bandwidth costs money and ISPs will be keen to keep an eye on their balance sheets so as to avoid cost over-runs. Failure to do this would risk a bigger speed gap between what is advertised and what is actually delivered."
Furthermore, familiarity with at least the concept of next generation broadband technology was also found to be encouragingly high, with 78% describing themselves as being 'Very Familiar' or 'Familiar' with it. Only 8.6% professed to having "no idea at all" about future internet technologies.
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The same survey also asked how much real-world broadband speed consumers felt would be enough for their needs, with nearly one quarter (24%) claiming to "need" speeds of 50Mbps or more. 21% voted for 20Mbps, 19% needed 10Mbps and 17% would be happy surfing on an 8Mbps connection (8Mb is the most common form of 'Advertised' speed in the UK). Just 7.4% voted for 4Mbps and 6.8% for 2Mbps packages.
"The news that UK consumers are willing to pay extra for significantly faster speeds will be welcomed by any ISP that is investing heavily in new infrastructure and products," commented ISPreview.co.uk's Editor and Founder, Mark Jackson. "However a note of caution should be sounded. Just because most people would be willing to pay extra doesn't mean to say they'd pay through the nose, prices must still be reasonable. Broadband didn't turn into a truly mass market service until after it was both widespread and affordable.
"Similarly we must also remember that even a 100Mbps connection is unlikely to be capable of delivering such speeds to everybody. Broadband has always been a 'best efforts' service where bandwidth (the data you consume while surfing the internet) is shared between many users. Bandwidth costs money and ISPs will be keen to keep an eye on their balance sheets so as to avoid cost over-runs. Failure to do this would risk a bigger speed gap between what is advertised and what is actually delivered."
Furthermore, familiarity with at least the concept of next generation broadband technology was also found to be encouragingly high, with 78% describing themselves as being 'Very Familiar' or 'Familiar' with it. Only 8.6% professed to having "no idea at all" about future internet technologies.
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ISPreview.co.uk
Mark Jackson
440120278234
www.ispreview.co.uk
Mark Jackson
440120278234
www.ispreview.co.uk
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