(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/RapidEye)
New research from Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) reveals that one in four consumers often rely on mobile data at home because their Wi‑Fi network is poor. This trend could complicate mobile operators’ plans to address in‑home coverage gaps using Voice-over‑WiFi services.
The GWS survey of 2,000 UK adults found that one in seven people deliberately avoid connecting to their home Wi‑Fi—even when available—because speeds are slow or the connection is unreliable. An additional 13% said they never connect their mobile devices to their home Wi‑Fi network.
|
|
Tasks undertaken using mobile data and not Wi‑Fi |
% of respondents |
|
1 |
Social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) |
57% |
|
2 |
Messaging (e.g. WhatsApp, iMessage, BBM) |
52% |
|
3 |
Internet shopping (searching deals, booking travel, etc.) |
46% |
|
4 |
Playing mobile games (e.g. Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Angry Birds) |
41% |
|
5 |
Working from home (e.g. answering emails) |
40% |
GWS also found that the bedroom is typically the worst room in the house for a strong Wi‑Fi signal. This is often due to distance from the router and physical obstacles such as walls and insulation that weaken the signal.
Paul Carter, CEO of GWS, commented: “Network operators face strong pressure to improve mobile coverage and eliminate blackspots across the UK. Many operators promote voice‑over‑WiFi as a stopgap for poor in‑home mobile signal, but our survey shows that home Wi‑Fi is frequently too slow or patchy for consumers to reliably access the internet. Those same Wi‑Fi limitations will hinder consumers who want to use voice‑over‑WiFi for calls at home.”
GWS extended their research by using an advanced mobile testing rig to collect and analyse data inside and outside more than 50 homes across London. Over six weeks, their measurements showed it is significantly harder to maintain a connection to high‑speed 4G/LTE networks indoors—regardless of the operator.
|
% of time on 4G/LTE modes |
3 |
EE |
O2 |
Vodafone |
|
Outside London properties |
78% |
100% |
95% |
95% |
|
Inside London properties |
55% |
85% |
91% |
87% |
Carter added: “People are skilled at switching between Wi‑Fi and mobile data when they’re out, but they shouldn’t have to use the same workarounds at home. We increasingly rely on phones to work, play and shop from home. The average consumer doesn’t care how the connection is made—as long as it works.”
Do you use Wi‑Fi at home for your mobile devices? Let us know in the comments.