Home Wi-Fi consumer needs, expectations altered post-Covid
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 02 September 2021
The massive pivot to home working and education caused by the Covid pandemic has had enduring consequences on the quality of experience of wireless applications according to a survey from managed Wi-Fi solutions provider Airties.

AirTies comaprium 8Feb2018The survey of 1,525 respondents across the US, UK and Germany, who either had to work or learn from home over the past year, set out to illustrate how the Covid-19 pandemic has permanently changed consumers’ expectations for home Wi-Fi.

Unsurprisingly, the Consumer Expectations for Home Wi-Fi found that 90% of people said they are using their home Wi-Fi more now than ever, with, at the top end of the scale, almost half of Americans (48%) using their Wi-Fi for an additional more than 7-10 hours per day, compared with 21% of Germans and 36% of Brits. As people sought out quieter places to work or study, the survey found that 65% were using Wi-Fi in unusual places in their homes, such as garages, attics, and patios. This correlates with the 56% who said they have areas in their home where Wi-Fi does not work well and demonstrates said Airties a significant market need for whole-home Wi-Fi solutions.

In all, 58% of respondents across the three countries said they encountered more home Wi-Fi issues than before the Covid-19 pandemic, and as many as 55% said they had daily issues with their home Wi-Fi, Consumers also strongly prefer their broadband operator take the lead in ensuring a quality Wi-Fi experience, with 80% saying they would rather their broadband subscription included home Wi-Fi networking gear instead of purchasing it themselves through retail.

Despite these troubling indicators, there were several positive findings for broadband operators. In addition to the 80% preference for broadband operators to include home Wi-Fi gear as part of their broadband service, 58% of consumers said they would consider upgrading to a faster tier of Internet service if their broadband operator offered a premium Wi-Fi system that guaranteed both faster and consistent Wi-Fi in every room of their home. Of those who would consider upgrading, 70% said they would be willing to pay at least $5/€5/£5 extra for faster and consistent Wi-Fi in every room of their home. Notably, 86% expect the fastest Internet package to come equipped with a whole-home Wi-Fi system that would guarantee coverage in every room.

“During this unprecedented time, people have come to rely on and value their home Wi-Fi more than ever,” said Airties CEO Philippe Alcaras commenting on the Consumer Expectations for Home Wi-Fi study. “We have crossed an inflection point where home Wi-Fi is as vital as electricity for sustaining our way of life – keeping us productive, informed, entertained, and connected. Even as many countries begin opening more, reliance on home Wi-Fi has forever changed. Trends like the ‘enterprisation’ of the home, remote learning and telemedicine are here to stay, and with that comes significant opportunities and challenges for broadband operators around the globe.”