Two things are clear in an internet satisfaction report commissioned by Amdocs and conducted by researchers at Dynata: Broadband generally is working well and many see it as a necessity.
The survey found that 89% of respondents said they have reliable access and that the number of homes with more than nine connected devices has almost doubled since 2021. Only 13% of homes with annual incomes of less than $50,000 per year – which the graphic refers to as “low-income” —have more than nine connected devices. Forty-one percent of households with incomes of more than $150,000 have more than nine.
The survey found that almost half—49%–of consumers said that they are happy with their home Internet, while occasionally having issues. Forty percent said they never have an issue and 11% said they struggle with connectivity.
More than two thirds (68%) of respondents report having Internet that doesn’t affect their job, school or career opportunities, while 32% report problems. These issues include connections that are too slow for tasks such as video calls, too many people using the connection at once or service interruptions.
According to the internet satisfaction report, 61% of consumers feel that new technologies, such as the metaverse and augmented reality, will increase the digital divide, while 39% were not concerned. Fifty-two percent said they would pay for more speed and 38% said they would pay for more reliability.
Amdocs and Dynata found that 84% of respondents consider Internet access a necessity, though only 79% of Gen-Zers share that opinion. Sixty-one percent reported that they felt it is important to close the digital divide before the 2024 election: Twenty-six felt it is extremely important do so, 35% felt it is somewhat important, 26% were unsure, 9% felt it is not important and 4% felt it is “very unimportant.” There was no unanimity on who should be responsible for closing the gap.
“We’ve long recognized that a lack of connectivity is a significant problem, but in today’s world, access has become non-negotiable,” Anthony Goonetilleke, Amdocs’ Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy, said. “Failing to ensure universal connectivity only serves to exacerbate the digital divide, leaving those on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder at an even greater disadvantage in their personal, professional, and academic pursuits. Given the role that technology and connectivity play in driving the global economy, it’s our collective responsibility to remain persistent in our efforts to close this gap.”
The Dynata and Amdocs research suggests that internet providers may have gained ground after seeing a drop in customer satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey, which was conducted last month, included views of 1,000 U.S. consumers.
