Wi-Fi Survey from the GSM Roaming Conference Brussels, March 2016

Transcription

1 Wi-Fi Survey from the GSM Roaming Conference Brussels, March 2016

2 Background In March, 2016, executives from mobile service providers around the world gathered in Brussels to advance and refine roaming rates and products for the global consumer market. 750 Attendees 140 Countries 200 Service Providers

3 The Importance of Wi- Fi As is common these days, Wi- Fi was provided complimentary to attendees at the conference. Wi- Fi s appeal is global, with some suggesting 60% or more of mobile data traffic runs over Wi- Fi today. At a GSMA roaming conference, where most of attendees work for mobile providers and likely don t face bill shock common to consumers, would Wi- Fi still be important? This survey tries to answer some of those questions.

4 About the survey The survey was conducted the week after the conference and was sent to all the registered attendees. It consisted of 10 brief questions and was completely anonymous. This should not be taken as anything more than it is, a brief and casual survey of some people who attended the meeting. The survey was conducted by Accuris Networks, and in no way represents the views of the GSMA, the SQUARE convention center, or any particular organization or individual attendee.

5 Q1: Did you use Wi-Fi at SQUARE? The best place to start is at the beginning did you use the Wi- Fi at the SQUARE center? Did you use Wi-Fi at SQUARE? 90% - Yes It was complimentary, so other than the hassle of finding the SSID and passcode, there was no other barrier. An overwhelming 90% used the Wi-Fi, definitively answering the question yes, Wi-Fi was important. Next we ll look at why people did, and didn t use the Wi-Fi.

6 Q2: Why did you use the Wi-Fi? Why did you use the Wi-Fi? Save on roaming 82% Wi-Fi only device 15% For people who used Wi-Fi, the natural question is Why? The vast majority, 82%, said Wi-Fi helped them save on roaming costs. Ironic given the respondents roles in their respective organizations. The other possible issue the devices they were using were Wi-Fi only (laptops), amounted to just 15%, the next highest choice. The other responses, poor cellular data coverage or performance, barely registered.

7 Q3: What devices were used on Wi-Fi? Most people carry more than one device, so people could select more than one answer. Again surprisingly, smartphones, which can access mobile data directly, were the most connected device. What devices? (Check all) Smartphone 83% Laptop/PC 79% And this question was directed only at people who had selected Yes, they did use the Wi-Fi at the SQUARE center.

8 Q4: Rate the quality of Wi-Fi service Ultimately the SQUARE center delivered a high-quality Wi-Fi experience. Not one person said it was very poor, with almost 54% saying it was good or great. Given the size of the conference center, kudos to SQUARE for delivering on a service that customers liked.

9 Q5: What would have made the service better? Regardless of how good it was, there is always room for improvement. Auto Connect 42% In this case, people could choose easier/ automated connections, faster data rates, better signal/coverage, no name/ password, or session continuity. While a handful of people said nothing could have made it better, it did get frustrating having to re-attach if the device was off/hibernating too long. Session Continuity 62%

10 Q6: If you didn t use Wi-Fi, why not? If you didn t use Wi-Fi, why not? 40% I tried, but got frustrated For those who didn t use Wi-Fi, it s also natural to wonder why not? Just 10% survey respondents said they did not use Wi-Fi. The dominant reason it was too complicated/frustrating. Half of people said they tried to use Wi-Fi but got frustrated (40%) or didn t have the code (10%). Other options like LTE/3G coverage or performance was great, didn t strike a chord. There is a correlation to the feedback on Q5 to make connectivity simple for users.

11 Q7: Consider adding Wi-Fi to roaming? Driving roaming revenues is key for the GSM community, and Accuris has seen Wi-Fi s inclusion into data roaming increase revenues and customer acceptance. Not sure/maybe 48% The respondents are undecided on the role of Wi-Fi in mobile data roaming, with 48% saying Not sure/maybe. It s early days for Wi-Fi roaming, with just 5% of people saying their company offered consumers Wi-Fi roaming today.

12 Q8: What benefits from Wi-Fi roaming? Up to 70% of roamers are silent, choosing to not use their home provider s roaming products when traveling. This is a lost opportunity. Addressing silent roamers, getting them to engage with new or different roaming products, is critical to offset falling roaming revenues. Address silent roamers 43% According to a Wireless Broadband Alliance report, adding Wi-Fi to a roaming offer can boost take rates 10% or more.

13 Q9: What would make Wi-Fi more attractive for data roaming? Automatically finding/attaching 43% Dramatically lower Wi-Fi costs 42% Lower costs and ease of use are fundamental to getting subscribers to embrace a new service. It s interesting that Wi-Fi costs, which is quite often free, are considered a key element of making Wi-Fi data roaming more attractive. LTE roaming rates are plummeting, and for Wi-Fi to be the low-cost alternative, wholesalers may need to rethink their monetization strategy with regard to inbound roaming.

14 Q10: What are the biggest challenges for adding Wi-Fi to a data roaming offer? Ultimately Wi-Fi s strength is also it s weakness. Wi-Fi can be deployed cost-effectively by anyone, anywhere resulting in a massive patchwork of Wi-Fi coverage and footprints. Limited Wi-Fi footprint 52% No one Wi-Fi network is ever enough. Thus developing a cost-effective, managed Wi-Fi network which hides the complexity and variability of the individual networks and providers is critical to broaden Wi-Fi s commercial appeal.

15 Conclusion People love Wi-Fi, particularly when roaming 90% used it, 82% specifically to save costs Making Wi-Fi easier will increase usage Giving Wi-Fi an LTE-like experience Wi-Fi can add revenues by addressing silent roamers Customer acceptance of Wi-Fi is high, Leverage it to add value Ready to get started? Accuris can help.

16 About Accuris Networks

17 About Accuris Networks Quality Backing Industry Leadership Over a Decade of Experience in Mobile Networking

18 Our Vision LTE Carrier Wi-Fi 3G DSL/Cable GSM Laptops Smartphone Tablets IPX Ensure subscribers receive secure, high-quality network access managed across service providers.

19 Thank you