A new survey from U.K. carrier VodafoneThree suggests that unreliable broadband is a big problem. The company has a new solution which uses 5G to provide speeds similar to fiber routers. Here’s what the survey says, and what we should take away from it.
There’s no doubt Wi-Fi is important to everyone. Slow connections are frustrating and inconvenient. But the new report claims to show that it’s upsetting people. A lot. And it’s something that’s become more pertinent in the last few years with the move to working from home.
First of all, let’s note that the study comes from a major carrier, VodafoneThree, just as it’s launching a new 5G at home service, but the survey was conducted on its behalf across 2,000 people in the U.K.
It found that slow or unreliable broadband is the “biggest pet peeve” for two thirds of those surveyed, with one in five considering moving house to get better connectivity.
I get this. Until I switched to gigabit broadband (not from Vodafone Three, from a fiber provider), I was regularly tearing my hair out when the connection I had stalled. As soon as my fast connectivity became reliable, I completely forgot I’d ever had a problem.
The Claimed Impact On Modern Relationships
The survey also pointed out that 24% of respondents relied on hotspotting to their cellphone on a daily basis to overcome slow home broadband.
And the respondents suggested that Wi-Fi even plays a part when it comes to romance with almost one in five, 19%, saying they’ve ruled out a romantic partner because their Wi-Fi wasn’t up to scratch. This seems preposterous to me, and I’d just say that if someone broke up with me using the line, “It’s not you, it’s your Wi-Fi,” I think I’d be grateful for the escape.
Out-Of-The-Box 5G Home Connectivity
VodafoneThree, the company promoting the survey, has launched a service called Vodafone 5G Broadband which uses a 5G router that doesn’t require cable installation, working straight out of the box.
The company says the service offers speeds of 150Mbps, which doesn’t match full-fiber gigabit connections but is speedy enough for most usage (and perhaps to keep the pickiest lover on side).
There are two options in the service, one with an indoor 5G hub and one with an outdoor hub, if that’s where the signal’s stronger. Both are installed by the user. The system depends on Vodafone’s extensive 5G network.
Prices start from £19 ($25) a month on a two-year contract or £30 ($40) a month on a rolling 30-day contract, though this is for a connection speed of up to 50Mbps. Upgrading to the faster 150Mbps tier costs just slightly more, coming in at £22 ($29) a month on the 24-month plan or £32 ($43) on the flexible monthly option.