MWC: Consumers ready to pay for QoE, according to Comptel study

Mobile broadband has grown fast enough that quality of experience (QoE) has suffered for many users. As those services grow, QoE is something that consumers are apparently ready to pay for, according to a new study commissioned by Comptel and carried about by Vason Bourne.

After interviewing 2,000 consumers from across the United Kingdom, France, Germany and United States about their mobile broadband usage and satisfaction with current service plans, the survey found that a superior mobile broadband experience can translate into increased revenue and customer loyalty improvements.

For example, 87% of respondents see QoE as a key driver that will influence their loyalty to their mobile operator, and the majority of respondents would not only switch carriers but also pay more money for faster and personalized services. Beyond that, 74% of those who said they’d be willing to pay for a higher QoE said they would also spend more money just for faster download speeds. Also, 61% indicated they want their service providers to offer more personalized service and price plans based on individual broadband consumption habits.

Almost a third of U.S. respondents said that improvements were needed in the overall broadband experience, including more flexible service and pricing options. Gender seemed to play a role, as male respondents were twice as likely to be dissatisfied with QoE as their female counterparts.

Given access to unlimited broadband, regardless of location and cost, more than half of respondents said they would use the extra bandwidth to watch more mobile TV. In the U.S., respondents also reported a preference to staying more connected to family and friends.

Other key findings are that mobile broadband is prevalent in everyday lives, with two-thirds of the consumers surveyed in the U.S., U.K. and France accessing the Internet most frequently from smartphones.

There also were indications that people are moving toward multiple broadband connections, with 58% of respondents acknowledging they have two or more broadband connections (and with 4% noting they have more than 4 connections). Additionally, 60% of respondents said they added an additional broadband connection in the previous 12 months.

For more information on the survey, copies of the survey results will be available at Mobile World Congress, Hall 1 at Stand 1C06.