Broadband customers name phone calls as their most preferred method of communicating with their providers — with email messages and text messages close behind — according to Innovative Systems’ 2025 Rural Broadband Subscriber Study. Other technologies like mobile apps, website links, and live chat are gaining momentum.
This was the first year the study asked customers to rank their preferred methods of communicating with their provider from 1 (most) to 5 (least).
Well over half — 58% — of the respondents in the study ranked phone calls as one of their top two preferred methods of communication. Emails and text messages were also ranked as one of the top two methods by 43% of customers. The numbers for live chat (28%) and website link or mobile app (27%) followed behind.
Local provider subscribers strongly prefer phone calls (average ranking: 2.06) compared to national provider subscribers (2.59). 55% of local customers ranked calls as their top communication method versus only 40% of national provider customers, highlighting the more personal relationships local providers have established.
Although the overall preferences were consistent among all respondents, there were some strong preferences by age group. Customers 55 and older strongly prefer phone calls, ranking phone 2.2 on average (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is best). The same age group rated website links/mobile apps and live chat especially low.
Though it’s important to have a diverse mix of channels to communicate with customers and let them contact you, the 2025 Rural Broadband Subscriber Study clearly shows providers that keeping those phone lines open and available is important to meet your customers’ needs. If you are a provider that offers other methods of communication, customer education is key to ensuring customer adoption.
Customer Communication and Social Media: Rural Broadband Subscriber Study
The study also examined customers’ social media preferences, including which sites customers use the most and how customers use social media to communicate with their provider.
Facebook and YouTube are the two sites study respondents report using most — 80% of respondents say they use Facebook and 73% say they use YouTube. Those numbers far exceed Instagram (51%), TikTok (40%), and other sites. These numbers vary greatly by age, though — for example, Instagram and TikTok are used by far more customers ages 18 to 34 (72% and 64% respectively) than customers 55 and older (31% and 19% respectively).
When asked why they engage with their provider on social media, the top reasons offered were: checking and reporting outages, checking for service availability, posting reviews, and finding information on community events.
Regarding marketing campaign visibility, local broadcast TV stands as the most effective awareness channel at 28%, followed by email (24%) and social media (22%), with traditional mail trailing at 13%. Interestingly, branded vehicles generate 12% awareness for local providers, suggesting vehicle branding offers a valuable supplementary awareness channel. This pattern clearly indicates that digital and broadcast channels dominate customer awareness compared to print communications.
Innovative Systems’ 2025 Rural Broadband Subscriber Study offers important insights into subscriber communication opportunities. Customers expect a variety of methods to be able to contact their provider and check for updates. Providers should make sure customers have access to their most preferred communications channels — phone, email, and text message — ideally both during and after normal business hours. Providers should also have a presence on customers’ top social media sites and offer the information customers want to find there.
To access the full Innovative Systems’ 2025 Rural Broadband Subscriber Study for more insights, click here.
Jancy Butterworth, Senior Marketing Specialist
Innovative Systems
Jancy Butterworth, Senior Marketing Specialist with Innovative Systems, develops content and crafts BSP stories to help broadband providers understand and reach their market with revenue, customer experience and marketing insights.
