The post GWS Ranks Mobile, Broadband Connectivity Performance appeared first on GWS.

The survey is based on six months of data collection from an opt-in consumer panel of more than 100,000 people on Android devices that allow GWS to collect mobile information and conduct thousands of tests in the background on their received network performance, as well as enabling the users to be surveyed. CEO Paul Carter said that sas why GWS focused on the awards as a function of “experience” rather than strict network metrics, and was able to differentiate between achievable network speeds and delivered experience.

“It’s definitely clear that network achievable throughputs are quite high these days but still, what delivered throughputs are people experiencing. [Those] are much, much lower. There’s more similarity across operators from a delivered-throughputs perspective,” Carter said.

A few interesting tidbits: Based on the customer feedback, GWS concluded that “it appears that more US consumers than not are seeing a tangible impact from advanced network connectivity.” Carter explained that when consumers were asked for their thoughts on 5G, around 40% said that it was important to them that they be able to access 5G wherever they were—in other words, they recognized the value of 5G availability. Another 37% said they didn’t really pay attention to which network they were on unless the network was slow, and only 19% of consumers said that they couldn’t really tell if their performance was better while on 5G.

“Let’s not think 5G has become white noise to consumers,” Carter said. “Our polling shows that consumers are keenly aware of 5G and its intended benefits.”

GWS’ analysis found that users spend around five fours a way on their mobile devices, with about 72% of their time spent on Wi-Fi versus the mobile network. How were they using those devices? Users spent more than 50% of their time with just 10 mobile apps: Facebook, YouTube, the Chrome browser, TikTok, Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Google Messages, Snapchat and Gmail.

Carter said that GWS also asked mobile device users about their perspective on artificial intelligence, particularly on their devices. Nearly 40% responded with enthusiasm for AI if it improved their productivity or made their lives easier, but the responses with reservations covered a pretty broad range of reasons: they didn’t want it, worried about data privacy, thought it wasn’t sophisticated enough to be useful, or thought it was inevitable and didn’t really care.

Carter interpreted those responses on AI as: “It’s there, but it’s not really there yet. I think it’s still early days for people to understand what it’s going to do for them.”

The post Test and Measurement: Consumers recognize the value of 5G, GWS survey finds appeared first on GWS.

The results follow six months of data collection from GWS’s opt-in consumer panel of 104,000+ adult participants where the company collected data points and conducted tests related to throughput, reliability, packet loss, and latency involving the U.S.’s major mobile operators and ISPs.

In addition to the awards, GWS also collected and analyzed app engagement and consumer sentiment data from mobile users, providing further insights into the overall user experience.

Mobile Experience and 5G

In terms of what people are doing on their phones, GWS data showed that people spend most of their time on mobile devices accessing social media, communications, and navigation apps. People spend over 50% of their time on just 10 mobile apps, with Facebook at the top, followed by YouTube, Chrome Browser, TikTok, Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Google Messages, Snapchat, and Gmail.

Despite the prominence of online search and social media, when U.S. consumers were surveyed and asked to choose one activity as the sole function of their phone, texting/messaging came out as the most popular choice.

T-Mobile

When looking at only 5G, T-Mobile also showed the best 5G mobile experience because it had the highest throughput speeds, lowest latency, and lowest packet loss.

T-Mobile consumers were also more likely than the average American to say that it was important to have a 5G signal wherever they are – 47% versus 40% for the national average.

GWS also reported that it appears that more U.S. consumers than not are seeing a tangible impact from advanced network connectivity – when asked about their thoughts on 5G, just 19% of consumers felt they were unable to tell if their performance was better or not when on 5G.

Verizon

Based on performance test results of the U.S.’s major nationwide ISPs, GWS found that Verizon has the Best Broadband Experience out of all ISPs tested.

Performance metrics measured were reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, FCC broadband benchmark, delivered throughputs, and packet loss.

Verizon, Xfinity, Cox, and Spectrum all had mean download throughputs above 150Mbps. On the flip side, Cox and Spectrum had much slower upload speeds (both below 40Mbps) when compared to Verizon and AT&T (both above 90Mbps).

All ISPs tested were similar when it came to task reliability, with each scoring near or just over 99%.

Xfinity came out on top for the percentage of time that their consumers experienced speeds over the FCC broadband benchmark (an updated baseline throughput standard announced by the FCC in March 2024 of 100Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads).

The data shows that Xfinity consumers exceed this benchmark 41% of the time (average across all ISPs was 33%). When looking at the inverse of this statistic, it suggests that reaching this benchmark on a consistent basis may prove challenging for the broadband industry as two-thirds of the time study participants did not experience throughputs above the benchmark when tested.

AT&T

GWS analyzed the performance of partner network bundles across ISP and mobile and found AT&T to have the Best Combined Connectivity Experience. The award is the U.S.’s only performance measure that brings together results from across both mobile operators and ISP partners in one score.

Performance metrics measured were reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, and packet loss.

GWS tests found that the AT&T bundle performed the best when factoring in the combination of metrics tested. In terms of mean download throughputs, AT&T, Spectrum, and Xfinity easily topped 125Mbps.

However, for upload AT&T had the fastest average combined speed (100Mpbs), doubling the average speeds provided by the nearest competitor (Verizon at around 50Mbps). When it came to reliability, AT&T and Verizon scored the highest; both were above 99% with T-Mobile, Spectrum, and Xfinity at or below 99%.

Bundling

GWS consumer polling found that the desire to switch to a bundle deal is a key factor for consumers when assessing their mobile operator or broadband provider.

Over half (52%) of U.S. consumers are considering bundle packages and their associated perks when deciding a service plan.

This article is a summary. For more from GWS report, as well as details about the methodology and data collection, you can view the whole report here.

The post GWS Releases Results of Nationwide Connectivity Experience Awards appeared first on GWS.

Wireless network benchmarking specialist Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has announced the results of its Nationwide Connectivity Experience Awards. Based on GWS’s OneScore ranking methodology, T-Mobile picked up the award for Best Mobile Experience, and Verizon has won Best Broadband Experience. AT&T has also been awarded the Best Combined Connectivity Experience for overall performance of its combined mobile and broadband offering.

The results, revealed in full in GWS’s 2024 US Mobile and Broadband Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report, follow six months of extensive data collection from GWS’s opt-in consumer panel of over 104,000 participants (18+), where the company collected nearly 4 billion data points and conducted over 3.4 million tests related to throughput, reliability, packet loss, and latency involving the US’s major mobile operators and ISPs. In addition to the awards, GWS also collected and analyzed app engagement and consumer sentiment data from real-life mobile users, providing further insights into the overall user experience.

The post GWS report ranks operators’ connectivity experience appeared first on GWS.

Dulles, VA October 1 2024 – Wireless network benchmarking specialist Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has announced the results of its Nationwide Connectivity Experience Awards. Based on GWS’s OneScore ranking methodology, T-Mobile picked up the award for Best Mobile Experience, and Verizon has won Best Broadband Experience. AT&T has also been awarded the Best Combined Connectivity Experience for overall performance of its combined mobile and broadband offering.

The results, revealed in full in GWS’s 2024 US Mobile and Broadband Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report, follow six months of extensive data collection from GWS’s opt-in consumer panel of over 104,000 participants (18+), where the company collected nearly 4 billion data points and conducted over 3.4 million tests related to throughput, reliability, packet loss, and latency involving the US’s major mobile operators and ISPs. In addition to the awards, GWS also collected and analyzed app engagement and consumer sentiment data from real-life mobile users, providing further insights into the overall user experience.

1^st Award: T-Mobile wins Best Mobile Experience

 Performance Test Results and Award Ranking:

• Test winner: GWS testing found that T-Mobile provides the Best Mobile Experience nationwide by a major operator in the US (see Figure 1).
• Performance metrics measured: Reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, and packet loss.
• Test highlights: T-Mobile performed the best in categories such as average network available throughputs with download speeds at nearly 170Mbps and upload at 20Mbps; nearly double the download speed of the next nearest operator (AT&T at 86Mbps).
  • Mean Download Throughput Ranking: 1^st T-Mobile, 2^nd AT&T, 3^rd Verizon
  • Mean Upload Throughput Ranking: 1^st T-Mobile, 2^nd AT&T, 3^rd Verizon
  • Task reliability across the board was consistent with all three operators above 98%.

User Insights on Mobile Experience and 5G:

• In terms of what people are doing on their phones, GWS data shows that people spend most of their time on mobile devices accessing social media, communications, and navigation apps. In fact, people spend over 50% of their time on just 10 mobile apps, with Facebook at the top, followed by YouTube, Chrome Browser, TikTok, Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Google Messages, Snapchat, and Gmail.
• Despite the prominence of online search and social media, when US consumers were surveyed and asked to choose one activity as the sole function of their phone, texting/messaging came out as the most popular choice.
• When looking at only 5G, T-Mobile also showed the best 5G mobile experience because it had the highest throughput speeds, lowest latency, and lowest packet loss.
• T-Mobile consumers were also more likely than the average American to say that it was important to have a 5G signal wherever they are – 47% versus 40% for the national average.
• Final observation on 5G: it appears that more US consumers than not are seeing a tangible impact from advanced network connectivity – when asked about their thoughts on 5G, just 19% of consumers felt they were unable to tell if their performance was better or not when on 5G.

2^nd Award: Verizon wins Best Broadband Experience

Broadband Performance Test Results and Award Ranking:

• Test winner: Based on performance test results of the US’s major nationwide ISPs, GWS found that Verizon has the Best Broadband Experience out of all ISPs tested (see Figure 2).
• Performance metrics measured: reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, FCC broadband benchmark, delivered throughputs, and packet loss.
• Test highlights: When testing the connections of broadband through WiFi, Verizon led the pack when it came to its overall broadband experience with a solid performance across all metrics.
• Verizon, Xfinity, Cox, and Spectrum all had mean download throughputs above 150Mbps. On the flip side, Cox and Spectrum had much slower upload speeds (both below 40Mbps) when compared to Verizon and AT&T (both above 90Mbps).
• All ISPs tested were similar when it came to task reliability, with each scoring near or just over 99%.
• Xfinity came out on top for the percentage of time that their consumers experienced speeds over the FCC broadband benchmark (an updated baseline throughput standard announced by the FCC in March 2024 of 100Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads).
• The data shows that Xfinity consumers exceed this benchmark 41% of the time (average across all ISPs was 33%). When looking at the inverse of this statistic, it suggests that reaching this benchmark on a consistent basis may prove challenging for the broadband industry as two-thirds of the time study participants did not experience throughputs above the benchmark when tested.

User Insights on Broadband Experience:

• App engagement data collected by GWS shows that US consumers spend nearly one-third of their waking day on their smartphones, and nearly three-quarters of that time (72%) is spent on WiFi networks.
• GWS polling also found that a typical American household has between 13 and 14 different WiFi-connected devices, with examples including smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, smart TVs, smart appliances, and security cameras. Looking at mobile devices specifically (i.e. smartphones and tablets), households typically have at least three connected via their WiFi/broadband network. What’s more, over half of all households say that the majority of the members in their house are using the internet simultaneously for more than 6 hours a day, showing the importance of stable and fast broadband connections for work and play.

3^rd Award: AT&T wins Best Combined Connectivity Experience

Performance Test Results and Award Rankings:

• Test winner: In the final award, GWS analyzed the performance of partner network bundles across ISP and mobile and found AT&T to have the Best Combined Connectivity Experience (Figure 3). The award is the US’s only performance measure that brings together results from across both mobile operators and ISP partners in one score.

Performance metrics measured: reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, and packet loss.

• Test highlights: GWS tests found that the AT&T bundle performed the best when factoring in the combination of metrics tested. In terms of mean download throughputs, AT&T, Spectrum, and Xfinity easily topped 125Mbps. However, for upload AT&T had the fastest average combined speed (100Mpbs), doubling the average speeds provided by the nearest competitor (Verizon at around 50Mbps). When it came to reliability, AT&T and Verizon scored the highest; both were above 99% with T-Mobile, Spectrum, and Xfinity at or below 99%.

 User Insights: How important have bundled packages become?

• GWS consumer polling found that the desire to switch to a bundle deal is a key factor for consumers when assessing their mobile operator or broadband provider.
• Over half (52%) of US consumers are considering bundle packages and their associated perks when deciding a service plan.

Commenting on the results, Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS, said: “Our tests show that mobile consumers have the best experience on T-Mobile’s network not only overall but also when on 5G. And let’s not think 5G has become white noise to consumers. Our polling shows that consumers are keenly aware of 5G and its intended benefits.

But while T-Mobile demonstrated a dominant performance on the mobile side, on the broadband side we’ve uncovered an interesting, if not a more competitive race among ISP providers to provide their consumers with the best experience. Case in point, Verizon was a clear winner for broadband performance (even if we included the test results of their recent acquisition, Frontier), yet Xfinity was not far behind and did best when it came to meeting the newly updated FCC speed benchmark for broadband. In particular, our tests revealed that Xfinity met or exceeded this benchmark more than the other ISPs.

Why is the FCC benchmark important? Our data shows that households have multiple users online at any given time, and over a dozen devices connecting to WiFi throughout the day – from phones to laptops to smart TVs and appliances and much more. Meaning that shared bandwidth has become critical to a household’s broadband experience, which is why we factor the FCC benchmark into our measurements and scoring. 

Finally, our polling has revealed a strong interest by US consumers in plans from operators that provide both mobile and broadband services. In fact, a majority of US consumers now consider bundle deals when selecting a new service provider, which is why we thought it important to measure the combined experience of both mobile and broadband from those operators who provide both services. And when looking at performance for combined connectivity, there is a clear winner as AT&T comes out on top.”

For more information, view the full 2024 US Mobile and Broadband Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report here.

Methodology and Notes 

All data was collected from GWS’s opt-in consumer panel of just over 104,000 participants (18+) making up a nationally representative sample of people from around the US. This is a panel of real-life users who use their phones and tablet devices as normal throughout the day; as a result, the data GWS gathered provides the most accurate picture of the nation’s connectivity experience. Data was anonymously collected from Android smartphones/tablets during the first six months of 2024 (January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024) and reported in aggregate for market research purposes only.

Performance Test Data: GWS conducted a series of tests in the background, measuring and analyzing mobile and ISP broadband network performance involving download and upload available throughputs, delivered throughputs, latency, reliability, and packet loss. These metrics were then used to determine mobile operator and ISP scores in relation to the three awards. In total, GWS collected nearly 4 billion data points and conducted over 3.4 million tests during the six-month test period to determine the results. Tests were run at random times, seven days a week, on both mobile and WiFi networks. For the Combined Connectivity Experience Award, scoring was based only on tests from panelists that used a mobile network and that operator’s broadband partner. For example, Spectrum Mobile test results from a Spectrum Mobile panelist were paired with Spectrum broadband test results from that panelist.

Consumer Polling Data: GWS conducted surveys, polling panelists about their network experience as it relates to their activities and expectations. All information collected was weighted to a user’s demographic representation of the US adult population (aged 18+).

OneScore Ranking: GWS’s patented ranking methodology takes into the test metrics mentioned above, and combines them into a single score that highlights the overall performance of each network. In addition, the importance of each metric is weighted based on feedback from consumers across the U.S.; feedback that focuses on those elements of network performance that matter most to everyday people.

App Engagement Data: GWS collected app engagement data from user devices to understand how, what, and when consumers connect and use their apps. Data collected includes app usage, frequency of use, and other similar metrics. Data is weighted to be a demographic representation of the US adult population (18+).

About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. 

For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent wireless insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through wireless insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile and broadband users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for 28 years.

Media Contact

Adam Hudson
Diffusion PR
[email protected]

The post From Mobile to Broadband – GWS determines which operator provides the best connectivity experience appeared first on GWS.

More 18- to 24-year-olds said they don’t want AI on their phones compared to older generations, according to a new GWS research report. While the Gen Z group said they didn’t want AI 16 percent of the time, only 9 percent of the older group surveyed said the same thing.

They also had different views on the technology in general. While nearly half, or 46 percent, of older millennials said they were in favor of AI if it boosts their productivity, only 25 percent of Gen Z said the same, revealing a significant gap despite being the generation most likely to grow up around AI.

“Gen Z’s skepticism toward AI reflects a generation that’s hyper-aware of how technology has been used to exploit them,” HR consultant and generational expert Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek. “They’ve grown up in a world where social media has wrecked mental health and algorithms prioritize profit over people. This group sees AI as more likely to replace their jobs than to actually improve their work lives.”

The survey was conducted across 3,000 American smartphone users and indicated a generational divide despite the fact Gen Z was more likely to feel they understood the newer technology tool.

Only 6 percent of Gen Z felt they didn’t understand AI enough to have an opinion on it, indicating the younger generation might feel their experiences with AI are actually more likely to make them hesitant about it.

“Recent advances in AI might have yielded some impressive new technology,” Paul Carter, CEO of GWS and mobile trends and consumer behavior expert, said in a statement. “But while many of the biggest tech firms have launched their own AI tools in recent months, our data shows that more work must be done to truly convince consumers that AI will make their mobile experience better, especially with younger audiences.”

Men were also more likely to embrace AI, regardless of age, saying they’d support the tech if it made things easier 46 percent of the time. That was compared to just 31 percent of women.

Across the board, though, the generational gap likely has roots in Gen Z’s own experiences as digital natives.

“Gen Z’s skepticism towards AI on phones likely stems from their unique experiences growing up in a digital-first world,” Dev Nag, the CEO and founder at QueryPal, told Newsweek. “Having witnessed technology’s rapid evolution and its societal impacts, they may be more attuned to potential downsides like privacy concerns and job displacement fears. Their skepticism could also reflect a desire for more authentic, human connections in an increasingly digital world.”

Gen Z’s position in the workforce could be causing a higher number to express concerns about the technology too.

“Many Gen Z workers are in entry-level or service industry jobs that haven’t yet seen significant AI integration or benefits, unlike older millennials who might be using AI tools for data analysis, content creation, or project management,” Nag said. “This limited exposure in their professional lives, combined with concerns about AI’s impact on job security in lower-skill positions, could be fueling their skepticism.”

Most Americans didn’t feel substantial privacy concerns when it came to AI on their phones, with only one in 10 saying they worried AI would be “too intrusive” on them.

And while Gen Z has expressed some skepticism over AI specifically on their phones, they have been leaning on it in many areas of their lives, especially when it comes to financial advice and budgeting.

Still, there’s a large difference between using AI to make things easier in your personal life and at your own pace than implementing the tools on phones and in the workforce, experts said.

“Unlike older generations, who might see AI as a shiny new productivity booster, Gen Z is questioning who really benefits from these tools,” Driscoll said. “On this point, they’re not being anti-technology. They’re being pro-human, pro-worker. As this generation dominates the workforce, companies pushing AI without considering its human impact will face resistance, and rightfully so.”

The post Gen Z Is Most Skeptical of AI: New Study appeared first on GWS.

The study of over 3000 American smartphone users, published today by wireless insights and benchmarking specialist GWS, reveals a stark generational divide in attitudes towards AI on phones, with more 18-24 year olds saying they “don’t want” AI on their phones compared to all older age groups (16% vs 10%).

While nearly half (46%) of ‘older millennials’ (35-44 year olds) are in favor of the technology if it helps boost their productivity, just a quarter (25%) of 18-24 year olds feel the same way. And it’s not because they don’t understand what AI offers, as Gen Zs seem to be most confident when it comes to understanding the technology – just 6% felt they didn’t understand AI enough to have a strong opinion on it. But the data reveals that this isn’t enough to convince them that the technology will make an impact, as a fifth (19%) of 18-24 year olds don’t think the technology is sophisticated enough to make a big difference on how they use their phones – the highest of any age group.

As well as a generational divide, the data also reveals a gender divide in attitudes towards AI on phones too, with more men willing to embrace the new technology if it makes things easier to do (46% of men vs 31% of women).

But while privacy is a concern for some, only one in ten Americans feel most strongly about AI being “too intrusive” on phones. This is reflected across all age groups, suggesting that privacy is not at the top of the agenda for consumers when thinking about AI and smartphones at present.

Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS Magnify comments: “Recent advances in AI might have yielded some impressive new technology. But while many of the biggest tech firms have launched their own AI tools in recent months, our data shows that more work must be done to truly convince consumers that AI will make their mobile experience better, especially with younger audiences. This perhaps taps into a new trend around the rise of ‘dumb phones’, particularly amongst Gen Zs. But it’s far from the majority, and in a world where we do everything through our phones, there’s no denying that you simply can’t do lots of daily tasks – from shopping to banking – without one. And, as is the case with all the best technology, when done properly it soon becomes something that you wonder how you ever functioned without!”

Methodology and Notes to Editors

 All data was collected via surveying GWS’s opt-in consumer panel of just over 3,000 participants (18+) making up a nationally representative sample of people from around the US. Data was collected in August 2024.

About GWS 

For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent wireless insights and benchmarking firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations to drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through wireless insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile and broadband users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for 28 years.

Media Contact

Adam Hudson/Ivana Farthing
Diffusion PR
[email protected]

The post The Gen AI Mobile Generation Gap: Gen Zs more likely to reject AI on phones than older age groups, reveals GWS appeared first on GWS.

It’s the bane of every commuter’s existence. You’ve set down your laptop on the tray table in front of you ahead of a long-distance train journey, expecting to get work done, only to find that the onboard Wi-Fi connection is patchy or barely working at all.

Half of UK train travellers surveyed by Transport Focus in July said they were dissatisfied with the reliability of their internet connection. Satisfaction with connectivity was the lowest of all the aspects the rail watchdog surveyed users about, and at 51 per cent, was 35 percentage points lower than overall satisfaction about train services.

The problem is so significant, according to a 2019 survey for the Department for Transport (DfT), that most passengers simply rely on their own (patchy) mobile internet connection rather than the train’s Wi-Fi. Just 4.3 per cent of internet data traffic generated during train journeys used onboard Wi-Fi, according to the DfT report.

And according to conversations rail expert Christian Wolmar has had with those in the industry, passenger usage of Wi-Fi on UK trains is around half the 50 or 60 per cent in continental Europe.

In part, the reason why onboard train Wi-Fi is so unreliable is that it’s not true Wi-Fi at all: it often relies on the same dodgy mobile data signals that i recently reported feel like they’re getting worse.

“There’s equipment on top of the train with half a dozen SIM cards on it for each network operator,” said Wolmar. “It’s supposed to pick up the best signal and create the Wi-Fi out of that.” Each SIM card acts as a mobile data router, gathering mobile internet signal in the same way your smartphone does, and then redistributing it to the users on the train below.

The issue is that 4G and 5G mobile internet connections aren’t ubiquitous across the whole country, with just 69 per cent of rural areas covered by all four major mobile networks.

Wi-Fi performance tends to be similar across network operators, but routes closer to mobile phone masts tend to offer more consistent connections than those that operate in rural areas, far away from network coverage.

Even if a reliable signal can be gleaned from the mobile data receivers sat atop carriages, there are other issues. Whatever data is available is often capped by the train operators, because they have to pay the mobile networks for the usage. “That’s why you can’t download films or have long Zoom conversations or whatever, because there isn’t enough data,” said Wolmar.

Beyond that, the paltry signal that manages to come through to a carriage encounters another issue, highlighted by a study for DfT. If you were trying to design a system uniquely made to try and limit the spread of Wi-Fi signal, you couldn’t do much better than a modern UK train carriage.

The materials used to make train carriages, such as welded aluminum, create what’s called a “Faraday cage” – which blocks electromagnetic signals such as Wi-Fi. Even the special kind of glass used to make train carriages better insulated can weaken the strength of Wi-Fi signals. How busy the train is can also dampen signal strength – and therefore speed – as the wireless signal has to pass through bodies to get to your device.

Once the smidgen of bandwidth that can be pulled from mobile phone masts to the train, gets through the data cap, gets weakened by the almost uniquely frustrating way train carriages are designed that specifically makes signal transfer worse, there’s a further problem: you have to share the little Wi-Fi signal that remains with everyone else on the train. “It’s limited in that if 20 people are using it at the same time to check their emails, it will max out,” said Wolmar, with only a hint of hyperbole.

“Train Wi-Fi brings together a perfect storm for connectivity providers and train operators,” said Paul Carter, CEO of wireless network benchmarking company GWS. “Trains are fast-moving, often densely populated, metal boxes.”

And because onboard Wi-Fi relies on increasingly questionable mobile internet signals – which are suffering many challenges – it can seem to many passengers that things are getting worse. Past surveys of passengers by Transport Focus suggested satisfaction with Wi-Fi connections was nearly 10 percentage points higher a year ago than today.

The technology is in need of updating but comes up against more fundamental infrastructural issues, such as punctuality and train performance. Indeed, the government told train operating companies in May last year to stop offering Wi-Fi service if it freed up capacity to improve other areas.

But change could soon be coming. The new Labour Government, alongside its rejuvenated plans for Great British Railways, a state-owned company to oversee all rail transport that has not yet been devolved, has an opportunity to change the bad reputation of on-board train Wi-Fi.

“Installing fast and reliable train Wi-Fi is not impossible,” said Carter. “An often-underestimated feature of this is ensuring that the network infrastructure as a whole is in good shape. This includes deploying a combination of wired and wireless connectivity solutions and utilising technologies like 5G, trackside small cells and even satellite connections to enhance network coverage and capacity.”

Doing so requires impetus, however – and an attitudinal change. “Wi-Fi on trains ought to become like toilets,” said Wolmar. “You wouldn’t think of running a train for a long distance without a toilet. Well ditto with Wi-Fi: it should be a basic provision.”

That would have other benefits, the rail expert reckons. “It will attract people back onto the railways.”

The post Why you can never connect to train Wi-Fi appeared first on GWS.

Half of UK train travellers surveyed by Transport Focus in July said they were dissatisfied with the reliability of their internet connection. Satisfaction with connectivity was the lowest of all the aspects the rail watchdog surveyed users about, and at 51 per cent, was 35 percentage points lower than overall satisfaction about train services.

The problem is so significant, according to a 2019 survey for the Department for Transport (DfT), that most passengers simply rely on their own (patchy) mobile internet connection rather than the train’s Wi-Fi. Just 4.3 per cent of internet data traffic generated during train journeys used onboard Wi-Fi, according to the DfT report.

And according to conversations rail expert Christian Wolmar has had with those in the industry, passenger usage of Wi-Fi on UK trains is around half the 50 or 60 per cent in continental Europe.

In part, the reason why onboard train Wi-Fi is so unreliable is that it’s not true Wi-Fi at all: it often relies on the same dodgy mobile data signals that i recently reported feel like they’re getting worse.

“There’s equipment on top of the train with half a dozen SIM cards on it for each network operator,” said Wolmar. “It’s supposed to pick up the best signal and create the Wi-Fi out of that.” Each SIM card acts as a mobile data router, gathering mobile internet signal in the same way your smartphone does, and then redistributing it to the users on the train below.

The issue is that 4G and 5G mobile internet connections aren’t ubiquitous across the whole country, with just 69 per cent of rural areas covered by all four major mobile networks.

Wi-Fi performance tends to be similar across network operators, but routes closer to mobile phone masts tend to offer more consistent connections than those that operate in rural areas, far away from network coverage.

Even if a reliable signal can be gleaned from the mobile data receivers sat atop carriages, there are other issues. Whatever data is available is often capped by the train operators, because they have to pay the mobile networks for the usage. “That’s why you can’t download films or have long Zoom conversations or whatever, because there isn’t enough data,” said Wolmar.

Beyond that, the paltry signal that manages to come through to a carriage encounters another issue, highlighted by a study for DfT. If you were trying to design a system uniquely made to try and limit the spread of Wi-Fi signal, you couldn’t do much better than a modern UK train carriage.

The materials used to make train carriages, such as welded aluminum, create what’s called a “Faraday cage” – which blocks electromagnetic signals such as Wi-Fi. Even the special kind of glass used to make train carriages better insulated can weaken the strength of Wi-Fi signals. How busy the train is can also dampen signal strength – and therefore speed – as the wireless signal has to pass through bodies to get to your device.

nce the smidgen of bandwidth that can be pulled from mobile phone masts to the train, gets through the data cap, gets weakened by the almost uniquely frustrating way train carriages are designed that specifically makes signal transfer worse, there’s a further problem: you have to share the little Wi-Fi signal that remains with everyone else on the train. “It’s limited in that if 20 people are using it at the same time to check their emails, it will max out,” said Wolmar, with only a hint of hyperbole.

“Train Wi-Fi brings together a perfect storm for connectivity providers and train operators,” said Paul Carter, CEO of wireless network benchmarking company GWS. “Trains are fast-moving, often densely populated, metal boxes.”

And because onboard Wi-Fi relies on increasingly questionable mobile internet signals – which are suffering many challenges – it can seem to many passengers that things are getting worse. Past surveys of passengers by Transport Focus suggested satisfaction with Wi-Fi connections was nearly 10 percentage points higher a year ago than today.

The technology is in need of updating but comes up against more fundamental infrastructural issues, such as punctuality and train performance. Indeed, the government told train operating companies in May last year to stop offering Wi-Fi service if it freed up capacity to improve other areas.

But change could soon be coming. The new Labour Government, alongside its rejuvenated plans for Great British Railways, a state-owned company to oversee all rail transport that has not yet been devolved, has an opportunity to change the bad reputation of on-board train Wi-Fi.

“Installing fast and reliable train Wi-Fi is not impossible,” said Carter. “An often-underestimated feature of this is ensuring that the network infrastructure as a whole is in good shape. This includes deploying a combination of wired and wireless connectivity solutions and utilising technologies like 5G, trackside small cells and even satellite connections to enhance network coverage and capacity.”

Doing so requires impetus, however – and an attitudinal change. “Wi-Fi on trains ought to become like toilets,” said Wolmar. “You wouldn’t think of running a train for a long distance without a toilet. Well ditto with Wi-Fi: it should be a basic provision.”

That would have other benefits, the rail expert reckons. “It will attract people back onto the railways.”

The post You’re not imagining it, train Wi-Fi really is bad appeared first on GWS.

At the end of July, Amazon held an event for online sellers in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, telling them it would support their efforts to enter the global market.

As examples of past successes in China, Amazon cited Anker, which makes chargers for smartphones and other devices, and robot vacuum cleaner manufacturer Roborock, both of which expanded around the world.

Amazon has been scaling back its consumer-oriented businesses in China. The company ended its domestic e-commerce service in China in 2019, and recently shut down its Kindle e-book service. It continues to provide cross-border e-commerce for overseas products to Chinese consumers, but its presence is weak.

Recently, however, Amazon has been reevaluating China as a source of goods for selling outside the country and is cultivating sellers there.

This year, it opened new offices in the inland cities of Wuhan, Hubei province, and Zhengzhou, Henan province. They support sellers in nearby cities and surrounding areas, seeking to do new business with small and medium-size sellers such as factories in rural areas.

For companies lacking the know-how to export overseas or develop their brand, the offices can help them by using Amazon’s logistics network and other resources to sell their products worldwide.

Amazon’s official account on the social networking app WeChat is also working to recruit sellers, holding live seminars almost every day for people considering listing products. “In 2024, we will hold dozens of events for thousands of sellers,” Amazon China’s vice president told Chinese media in May.

The company will also begin building a framework to deliver Chinese products to the U.S. at lower prices. It has been signing new contracts with Chinese retailers from this summer that allow inexpensive daily necessities and clothing to be shipped directly to U.S. consumers, according to The Information and other U.S. media. Previously, deliveries were made via Amazon’s logistics facilities, but shipping directly is expected to reduce costs.

Amazon is rushing to develop sellers in China over concerns that its presence in the U.S. and elsewhere could decline in the face of rising low-cost online shopping services from China like Temu and Shein.

According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted by Jungle Scout, an analytics service for sellers, 52% of people said they first searched for products on Amazon when shopping online in April to June, down nine percentage points from two years ago.

Sales from Amazon’s direct online shopping business grew 5% year on year in the April-June period, slowing from a 7% rise in January to March.

In 2023, U.S. consumers spent 11 minutes a day using the Amazon app, according to U.S. research firm Global Wireless Solutions. Temu consumers, on the other hand, spent 22 minutes a day using its app, which draws interest by frequently issuing coupons.

At an earnings briefing on Thursday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy acknowledged that consumers continue to seek low-priced goods.

China is becoming increasingly important as a supplier of of low-cost goods — a trend that benefits Chinese sellers, who can lift sales through exports amid sluggish domestic demand.

Cross-border e-commerce exports in 2023 amounted to $261.7 billion, up 180% from 2018, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. The U.S. was the most common destination, accounting for 37%.

Chinese internet companies like Temu, Alibaba Group’s AliExpress and ByteDance subsidiary TikTok are expanding their cross-border e-commerce businesses by utilizing the networks of business partners they have cultivated domestically, boosting export values.

Amazon is not the only foreign company aiming to expand its listings from China. Shopee, from Singapore-based Sea, is also streaming seminars on WeChat in an effort to attract Chinese sellers interested in expanding into Southeast Asian markets, where it has an advantage.

The post Amazon develops China seller network to take on Temu, Shein appeared first on GWS.

by Éilis Cronin

The post Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop: Are Chinese e-commerce platforms an existential threat? appeared first on GWS.

Temu and Shein have exploded in the U.S. by going on an online marketing blitz and offering consumers inexpensive goods from China, whether it’s a $3 pair of shoes or a $15 smartwatch.

The rise of the discount shopping apps, along with TikTok Shop from China’s ByteDance, have generated fresh competition for U.S. e-commerce companies Amazon, eBay and Etsy.

Much of their growth, according to some industry experts, is the result of a trade loophole, known as the de minimis exception, which allows for packages shipped from China valued at under $800 to enter the U.S. duty free. Amazon’s top public policy executive, David Zapolsky, says it’s an issue that state attorneys general should be asking about, and added that the lack of scrutiny of China’s supply chain is a “concerning trend” among U.S. and European officials.

“I think there’s a question about the extent to which some of their business models are subsidized,” Zapolsky told CNBC in a recent interview, speaking broadly about Chinese companies. “At a very tactical level, there are rules around what you can show as your list price vs. the sale price, and I think those rules are not always enforced.”

The topic of Temu and Shein’s growth will hover over tech earnings this week, as Amazon reports second-quarter results alongside Meta, eBay and Etsy. Investors will be watching for any commentary about the impact of Temu and Shein on e-commerce marketplaces and for discussion of their ad spending, which has helped fuel Meta’s recent expansion.

Tech earnings season got off to an ominous start last week. Late Tuesday, Alphabet reported a slight beat on revenue, but missed estimates on YouTube ad sales, pushing the stock down 5% on Wednesday. Tesla shares plunged 12% that day, the biggest drop since 2020, on weaker-than-expected earnings and a second straight quarter of declining auto revenue.

The post Temu and Shein’s soaring popularity has Wall Street eyeing China’s influence on tech earnings appeared first on GWS.

Amazon and eBay at the forefront
Last year, Amazon lost shoppers to growing competition, particularly from China, but now the platform is holding its position. ‘The latest data shows that Amazon remains more resilient than ever’, reports Direct Commerce based on GWS’ figures.

With 17.5 million active monthly users, the American eBay is also managing to stay ahead of Chinese competition in the United Kingdom.

Shein and Temu
Shein is the big grower, with 10.5 million monthly active UK users in June, compared to just under 8.0 million half a year ago. Temu, on the other hand, saw a slight decrease in interest, attracting 4 percent fewer active visitors than around the turn of the year. However, with approximately 16 million monthly users, Temu is still significantly larger than Shein and Asos. That local player is echoing Shein to increase turnover and profitability.

Furthermore, Temu leads in terms of engagement: users – mainly women – spend an average of 18 minutes daily on the platform, spread over six visits.

British Temu users visit the app six times a day.

Shein engages users for just over 8 minutes daily, while Amazon’s engagement time is slightly lower (almost 8 minutes per day), spread over four visits.

Acknowledgement of the threat
“Amazon seems to have withstood the storm”, comments Paul Carter, CEO of GWS Magnify. “Its resilience over the last year against challenger brands is a testament to its market dominance and future growth. But despite growth remaining steady, Amazon’s recent moves to bring in its own direct-from-China discount section is an acknowledgment of the threat posed by the likes of Temu and Shein.”

The post Amazon shows resilience in UK appeared first on GWS.

The results are included in the GWS 2024 Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report, based on six months of data collection from 6,000 panel participants. Vodafone came second in the Best Broadband Experience category, followed by TalkTalk, Sky Broadband, EE, BT, Plusnet and Three Broadband in 8th place. Vodafone came second in the Best Mobile Experience Award category, followed by 3 UK and O2 UK.

The post Virgin Media O2 offers Best Broadband Experience in UK- GWS appeared first on GWS.

Consumer usage data from mobile analytics and business intelligence firm GWS Magnify reveals that Amazon has shored up its market dominance in 2024.

Since the start of the year, its monthly active user numbers in the UK have held steady at around 26 million since January 2024.

Challenger Shein has seen the most impressive retail growth in 2024 so far. In January, it had nearly eight million monthly active users. But today it boasts over 10.5 million users – up 37% since the turn of the year.

For the first time Temu’s growth rate appears to be plateauing, with user numbers down slightly (4%) since the seasonal highs at the turn of the year.

But user figures remain high at around 16 million monthly active users today, which is significantly more than Shein or Asos, and only slightly lower than eBay’s nearly 17.5 million.

While Amazon’s user figures remain high, challenger brands continue to outperform the US online giant in terms of engagement figures. In 2024 so far, the average Temu user spends 18 minutes on the app each day; over double that of Amazon at nearly eight minutes.

Shein is also outdoing Amazon in terms of engagement with users averaging over eight minutes on its app each day. Overall, user engagement has remained steady this year in the UK with little change in app engagement across most brands.

As well as spending longer on the app, Temu users are also visiting the retailer more often than Amazon users. In 2024, the average Temu user opens the app over six times a day, compared to an average of four openings a day for Amazon.

While Amazon’s user base remains resilient, Shein and Temu are proving especially popular amongst one group in particular: women.

81% of Shein users are female at present in the UK, compared to 54% for Amazon. Shien’s typical user is also much younger than the typical Amazon user – 39% of Shien’s customers are under the age of 34, compared to 30% for Amazon.

Likewise, Temu has a heavily female user skew as 63% of its customers are women. But, like Amazon, Temu also proves popular with older audiences as 30% of Temu’s UK audience are over the age of 55 compared to 31% for Amazon.

Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS Magnify, comments: “Amazon seems to have withheld the storm – its resilience over the last year against challenger brands is testament to its market dominance and future growth.”

But despite growth remaining steady, Amazon’s recent moves to bring in its own direct from China discount section is acknowledgement of the threat posed by the likes of Temu and Shein.”

“In a market where price rules, Amazon can afford to join the race to the bottom. But it also needs to ensure it’s winning the battle for user engagement if it’s to remain the dominant player in the market.”

“The gamification of shopping is something that Temu in particular has mastered with great reward which sees customers coming back and opening the app many more times a day than Amazon. But Amazon’s robust and wide audience means it is, at least for now, still the top of the pile in UK online retail.”

The post Withholding the storm: Online challengers fail to break Amazon’s dominance as Temu growth plateaus appeared first on GWS.

Consumer usage data from mobile analytics and business intelligence firm GWS Magnify reveals that Amazon has shored up its market dominance in the US in 2024:

• Since the start of the year, Amazon’s monthly active user numbers in the US have held steady at around 139 million.
•  Challenger Shein has seen the most impressive retail growth in 2024 so far. In January, Shein had nearly 28 million monthly active users. But today the ecommerce company boasts over 32 million users in the US – up 18% since the turn of the year.
  
• After its meteoric rise since launch, for the first time Temu’s growth rate seems to be plateauing, with the company seeing only a small bump in users (up 5%) since the turn of the year. That said, Temu user figures remain high averaging just over 78.5 million monthly active users since the beginning of the year.

Engagement rules

While Amazon’s user figures remain high, challenger brands continue to outperform the ecommerce giant in terms of engagement figures. In 2024 so far, the average Temu user spends close to 24 minutes on the app each day; up nearly 4 minutes from the same time last year and over double that of Amazon at 11 minutes. Shein is also outdoing Amazon in terms of engagement with users spending 12 minutes on its app each day.

As well as spending longer on the app, Temu users are also visiting the retailer more often than Amazon users. In 2024, the average Temu user opens the app over six times a day, compared to an average of 4 openings a day for Amazon.  

The rise of female users on challenger ecommerce platforms

While Amazon’s user base remains resilient, Shein and Temu are proving especially popular amongst one group in particular: women.

Four out of five (80%) Shein users are female at present in the United States, compared to 54% for Amazon. Shein’s typical user is also younger than the typical Amazon user – nearly two fifths (39%) of Shein’s customer base are under the age of 34, compared to 32% for Amazon. Likewise, Temu has a heavily female user skew as 61% of its customers are women, down slightly from the 69% skew it saw this time last year. But, like Amazon, Temu also proves popular with older audiences as 36% of its US audience are over the age of 55 compared to 32% for Amazon.

Dr. Paul Carter, CEO, GWS Magnify, commented: “Amazon seems to have withheld the storm – its resilience over the last year against challenger brands is testament to its market dominance and future growth.

But despite growth remaining steady, Amazon’s recent moves to bring in its own direct-from-China discount section is acknowledgement of the threat posed by the likes of Temu and Shein.

In a market where price rules, Amazon can afford to join the race to the bottom. But it also needs to ensure it’s winning the battle for user engagement if it’s to remain the dominant player in the market. The gamification of shopping is something that Temu in particular has mastered with great reward which sees customers coming back and opening the app many more times a day than Amazon. But Amazon’s robust and wide audience means it is, at least for now, still the top of the pile in US online retail.”

-ENDS-

Methodology 

 App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers participating in our market research programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of both the U.S. and U.K. mobile connectivity experience. In particular, data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a user’s demographic representation of each country’s adult population.

About GWS  

For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.  

 Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioural data, we help businesses and organizations to drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for over 25 years.  

 For more information visit https://www.gwsolutions.com/   

 Media Contact  
Adam Hudson   
Diffusion PR  
[email protected]  

The post Amazon Prime Day in the US: Challengers fail to break Amazon’s dominance despite meteoric rise – as Temu’s growth plateaus appeared first on GWS.

Consumer usage data from mobile analytics and business intelligence firm GWS Magnify reveals that Amazon has shored up its market dominance in 2024:

• Since the start of the year, Amazon’s monthly active user numbers in the UK have held steady at around 26 million since January 2024
•  Challenger Shein has seen the most impressive retail growth in 2024 so far. In January, Shein had nearly 8 million monthly active users. But today the ecommerce company boasts over 10.5 million users – up 37% since the turn of the year.
• After its meteoric rise since launch, for the first time Temu’s growth rate appears to be plateauing, with user numbers down slightly (4%) since the seasonal highs at the turn of the year. But user figures remain high at around 16 million monthly active users today, which is significantly more than Shein or Asos, and only slightly lower than eBay’s nearly 17.5 million.

Engagement rules

While Amazon’s user figures remain high, challenger brands continue to outperform the ecommerce giant in terms of engagement figures. In 2024 so far, the average Temu user spends 18 minutes on the app each day; over double that of Amazon at nearly 8 minutes. Shein also has a slight edge over Amazon in terms of engagement with users averaging over 8 minutes on its app each day. Overall, user engagement has remained steady this year in the UK with little change in app engagement across most brands.

As well as spending longer on the app, Temu users are also visiting the retailer more often than Amazon users. In 2024, the average Temu user opens the app over 6 times a day, compared to an average of 4 openings a day for Amazon.  

The rise of female users on challenger ecommerce platforms

While Amazon’s user base remains resilient, Shein and Temu are proving especially popular amongst one group in particular: women.

Over four out five (81%) Shein users are female at present in the UK, compared to 54% for Amazon. Shien’s typical user is also much younger than the typical Amazon user – nearly two fifths (39%) of Shien’s customers are under the age of 34, compared to 30% for Amazon. Likewise, Temu has a heavily female user skew as 63% of its customers are women. But, like Amazon, Temu also proves popular with older audiences as 30% of Temu’s UK audience are over the age of 55 compared to 31% for Amazon.

Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS Magnify, commented: “Amazon seems to have withheld the storm – its resilience over the last year against challenger brands is testament to its market dominance and future growth.

But despite growth remaining steady, Amazon’s recent moves to bring in its own direct-from-China discount section is acknowledgement of the threat posed by the likes of Temu and Shein.

In a market where price rules, Amazon can afford to join the race to the bottom. But it also needs to ensure it’s winning the battle for user engagement if it’s to remain the dominant player in the market. The gamification of shopping is something that Temu in particular has mastered with great reward which sees customers coming back and opening the app many more times a day than Amazon. But Amazon’s robust and wide audience means it is, at least for now, still the top of the pile in UK online retail.”

-ENDS-

Methodology 
App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers participating in our market research programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of both the U.S. and U.K. mobile connectivity experience. In particular, data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a user’s demographic representation of each country’s adult population.

About GWS  
For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.  

 Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioural data, we help businesses and organizations to drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for over 25 years.  

 For more information visit https://www.gwsolutions.com/   

 Media Contact  
Adam Hudson   
Diffusion PR  
[email protected]  

The post Amazon Prime Day in the UK: Challengers fail to break Amazon’s dominance– as Temu’s growth plateaus appeared first on GWS.

Consumer usage data from mobile analytics and business intelligence firm GWS Magnify reveals that Amazon has shored up its market dominance in 2024:

Since the start of the year, Amazon’s monthly active user numbers in the UK have held steady at around 26 million since January 2024
Challenger Shein has seen the most impressive retail growth in 2024 so far. In January, Shein had nearly 8 million monthly active users. Today, the eCommerce company boasts over 10.5 million users—up 37 percent since the turn of the year.
After its meteoric rise since launch, for the first time Temu’s growth rate appears to be plateauing, with user numbers down slightly (4 per cent) since the seasonal highs at the turn of the year. But user figures remain high at around 16 million monthly active users today, which is significantly more than Shein or Asos, and only slightly lower than eBay’s nearly 17.5 million.
While Amazon’s user figures remain high, challenger brands continue to outperform the eCommerce giant in terms of engagement figures. In 2024 so far, the average Temu user spends 18 minutes on the app each day; over double that of Amazon at nearly 8 minutes. Shein is also outdoing Amazon in terms of engagement with users averaging over 8 minutes on its app each day. Overall, user engagement has remained steady this year in the UK with little change in app engagement across most brands.

As well as spending longer on the app, Temu users are also visiting the retailer more often than Amazon users. In 2024, the average Temu user opens the app over 6 times a day, compared to an average of 4 openings a day for Amazon.

While Amazon’s user base remains resilient, Shein and Temu are proving especially popular amongst one group in particular: women.

Over four out of five (81 per cent) Shein users are female at present in the UK, compared to 54 per cent for Amazon. Shien’s typical user is also much younger than the typical Amazon user – nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) of Shien’s customers are under the age of 34, compared to 30 per cent for Amazon. Likewise, Temu has a heavily female user skew as 63 per cent of its customers are women. But, like Amazon, Temu also proves popular with older audiences as 30per cent of Temu’s UK audience are over the age of 55 compared to 31 per cent for Amazon.

Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS Magnify, commented: “Amazon seems to have withheld the storm – its resilience over the last year against challenger brands is testament to its market dominance and future growth. But despite growth remaining steady, Amazon’s recent moves to bring in its own direct-from-China discount section is acknowledgement of the threat posed by the likes of Temu and Shein.

“In a market where price rules, Amazon can afford to join the race to the bottom. But it also needs to ensure it’s winning the battle for user engagement if it’s to remain the dominant player in the market. The gamification of shopping is something that Temu, in particular, has mastered with great reward, which sees customers coming back and opening the app many more times a day than Amazon. But Amazon’s robust and wide audience means it is, at least for now, still the top of the pile in UK online retail.”

The post Amazon Prime Day in the UK: Challengers Fail to Break Amazon’s Dominance – as Temu’s Growth Plateaus appeared first on GWS.

A study from independent wireless insights consulting firm GWS has pinpointed Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) as offering the country’s best combined connectivity experience for its broadband and mobile experience.

The study collected data from 1 December 2023 to 31 May 2024 from an opt-in consumer panel of just over 6,000 participants of real-life users who use their phones and tablet devices as normal throughout the day. GWS conducted a series of tests in the background, measuring and analysing mobile and ISP broadband network performance involving download and upload available throughputs, delivered throughputs, latency, reliability, packet loss and video streaming – such as resolution, freezing and loading.

In total, GWS collected 573 million data points and conducted over 1.5 million tests during the six-month test period to determine the results. Tests were run at random times, seven days a week, on both mobile and Wi-Fi networks. For the Combined Connectivity Experience Award, scoring was based only on tests from a mobile network and that operator’s broadband partner.

Looking at general trends, app engagement data collected by GWS showed UK consumers spend nearly one-third of their waking day on their smartphones, and most of that time (78%) is spent on Wi-Fi networks. In addition, a typical household was found to have between 13 and 14 different connected devices, with examples including smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, smart TVs, smart appliances and security cameras.

Looking at mobile devices specifically (smartphones and tablets), households typically have at least four connected. Over half of all households say the majority of the members in their house use the internet simultaneously for more than five hours a day, showing the importance of stable and fast broadband connections for hybrid work.

Looking at the companies offering the best experiences, VMO2 topped two categories for best broadband and best combined connectivity, with EE coming top for best mobile experience.

Looking at broadband performance test results, VMO2 edged out Vodafone Broadband and then TalkTalk, Sky Broadband and EE, offering throughput of over 170Mbp to users. Vodafone broadband provided less than half the throughput, over 75Mbps, illustrating, said GWS, a significant divide in performance regarding download throughput. VMO2 also performed best in video streaming, finishing top with best resolution and quickest time to load.

Read more about network experiences
BT tops UK fixed broadband customer experience rankings: Research from network quality of experience testing and monitoring firm pinpoints UK’s largest leading broadband provider as offering best quality of experience.
EE claims network experience leadership among UK mobile operators: Latest guide to understanding the true experience on offer from the UK’s mobile operators sees not one market best company, but BT-owned comms provider scoops lion’s share of awards.
Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 announce long-term network-sharing agreement: Network-sharing agreement aims to transform experience for tens of millions of customers across the UK and rebalance the mobile market by creating a third scaled network operator.
How an improved network experience enhances business: At Cisco Live 2024, leaders discussed how AI can support business objectives. Companies like CSL Behring and Room & Board improved their network experience with ThousandEyes.
GWS’s test results for mobile showed that operators were managing the everyday throughput requirements for consumers due to the fact that the apps they use require far less throughput from the mobile network than what the network is capable of providing. In contrast, broadband requires much higher throughputs due to the number of devices accessing the network at any one point in time from the same household.

The study showed EE provided the best mobile experience by a major operator in the UK, performing top in most of the test categories, including reliability, video streaming and latency. EE led from Vodafone, Three UK and O2 respectively.

In terms of throughputs, Three UK offered the highest download throughput at 63 Mbps, and was tied with EE for the highest upload throughput at 17Mbps.

VMO2 won best combined connectivity experience, beating the Sky Mobile and Broadband combination; EE/BT; Vodafone/Vodafone Broadband; EE/EE; and Three UK, Three Broadband. When looking at throughputs, the fastest average download throughput by a combined provider was offered by VMO2 at over 150Mbps – well over double the average of closest rival EE/BT with an average download throughput of over 65Mbps. When looking at uploads, Virgin Media O2 was also top with an average throughput of 34Mbps.

GWS CEO Paul Carter said: “What we need from our networks varies depending on where we are – if you’re going to be using your phone at home while sharing a network with other people or devices, most of the time it will require higher speeds than if you’re on the go using your mobile network. Our life isn’t one-dimensional running on one network, so nor should our testing be. That’s why we’ve tested the different types of networks people are accessing on their phones, to provide a more meaningful overview of the UK’s connectivity experience today.”

The post Virgin Media O2, EE top GWS UK connectivity experience study appeared first on GWS.

Finland’s Elisa saw second-quarter EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) climb 4% year-over-year, to €190 million (US$207 million), on revenue that increased 2% to €541 million ($589 million). The upward trajectory was driven by mobile service revenue, efficiency improvements and improving momentum in the B2B segment, said the company, which has made a name for itself as one of the more forward-thinking operators. Since June it has been building out its fiber network using XGS-PON technology, while this month it acquired fiber networks in the eastern and northeastern parts of Finland from Kaisanet. (See Finland’s Elisa bucks trend of telco decline.)

London’s High Court has thrown out a lawsuit launched by carmaker Tesla, which had sued InterDigital and Avanci in a bid to gain a patent license ahead of its launch of 5G-connected vehicles in the UK. As Reuters reports, Judge Timothy Fancourt ruled that Tesla’s bid for a license was to be rejected but its attempt to revoke three of InterDigital’s patents can continue.

The recently concluded Euro 2024 soccer tournament predictably piled heaps more data onto BT’s UK broadband network, with traffic reaching 30 times its average volume when the live matches were being screened, particularly those involving the two “home nations” of England and Scotland – BT estimates that fans burned through more than 11,000 terabytes of data watching those two teams play. The highest peak in broadband traffic during the final came as Cole Palmer equalized for England just after 9.30 p.m. and then… well let’s not go into that.

The post Eurobites: Virgin Media O2 panned and praised on same day appeared first on GWS.

EE performed best in most test categories, including reliability, video streaming, and latency. In terms of throughput,

Three had the highest download throughput at 63 Mbps and was tied with EE for the highest upload throughput at 17 Mbps. Vodafone came second, followed by Three and O2.

Data collected from just over 6,000 participants

WS tests also showed Virgin Media O2 performed at or near the top in a majority of the metrics with Sky also performing well in video streaming and reliability.

Reliability across all combined providers remained constant. The fastest average download throughput by a combined provider was offered by Virgin Media O2 at over 150Mbps. This was over double the average of its closest rival EE/BT with an average download throughput of over 65Mbps. Virgin Media O2 was also top at uploads with an average throughput of 34Mbps

The conclusions were drawn from data collected from GWS’ opt-in consumer panel of just over 6,000 participants who used their phones and tablets as normal.

Data was anonymously collected from Android smartphones/tablets between December and May from background tests.

GWS collected 573 million data points

GWS collected 573 million data points and conducted over 1.5 million tests during the six-month test period. Tests were run at random times, seven days a week, on both mobile and WiFi networks.

These tests measured mobile and ISP broadband network performance, including download and upload available throughput, delivered throughput, latency, reliability, packet loss, and video streaming (resolution, freezing, and loading).

“Test results for mobile show that operators are all managing the everyday throughput requirements for consumers,” said GWS.

This is because the apps that consumers use require far less throughput from the mobile network than what the network is capable of providing.

GWS measured the throughput delivered to consumers while using their apps and found that throughput is generally much lower than the maximum throughput the networks are capable of providing. In contrast, broadband requires much higher throughput due to the number of devices accessing the network at any one point in time from the same household.”

GWS data shows that people spend most of their time on mobile devices accessing social media, communications, and navigation apps. In fact, people spend over 50 percent of their time on just 10 connectivity and social media apps, with Facebook at the top, followed by Chrome Browser, WhatsApp, Google Maps, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Gmail, and Snapchat.

The post EE is top mobile network with Virgin Media O2 best for combined mobile and broadband says GWS after six month test programme appeared first on GWS.

The results from GWS’ 2024 Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report are based on the collection of 573 million data points and over 1.5 million tests conducted across key performance metrics (i.e. throughputs, reliability, latency, packet loss, and video streaming metrics). The tests were conducted on the devices of real-life users from GWS’ proprietary opt-in consumer panel of 6,000 participants (18+).

In addition to running network performance tests, GWS generated insights into app usage and polled consumers on their wireless experiences. For example, this revealed that people have between 13 and 14 connected devices running on their home broadband networks. What’s more, over half of all households say that the majority of members in their house are using the WiFi simultaneously for more than 5 hours a day.

The data also reveals that when on their Smartphones, Brits spend 78% of their time connected to WiFi (much of this will be from when they’re at home or in an office) and 22% on 4G/5G (mobile data). But the main focus of all the testing was to establish which broadband and mobile providers delivered the best experience.

The Results

Best Fixed Broadband ISP

In terms of fixed broadband, Virgin Media was found to have the Best Broadband Experience out of all ISPs tested. As a highlight, Virgin Media led the pack when looking at mean download throughputs (across all panellists), offering over 170Mbps. The next closest provider was Vodafone, which offered less than half the throughput (over 75Mbps), illustrating a significant divide in performance (this probably has more to do with the fact that Virgin has a higher take-up of faster speeds).

Virgin Media also performed best in video streaming, finishing top with best resolution and quickest time to load. In addition, GWS also measured the percentage of time that ISPs were able to maintain high definition (HD) resolution during the streaming tests (i.e. maintaining video resolution at 720p or greater). Virgin Media led the way at 94%.

Broadband Provider Ranking for H1 2024

1. Virgin Media
2. Vodafone
3. TalkTalk
4. Sky Broadband
5. EE
6. BT
7. Plusnet
8. Three Broadband (mobile)

Best Mobile Operator

GWS found that EE provided the Best Mobile Experience by a major operator in the UK. EE performed top in most of the test categories, including reliability, latency, and all three video streaming tasks. In terms of HD streaming, EE came top with 80%. When looking at throughputs, Three UK had the highest download throughput at 63Mbps and was tied with EE for the highest upload throughput at 17Mbps.

Mobile Operator Ranking for H1 2024

1. EE
2. Vodafone
3.Three UK
4.O2

Best Combined Mobile and Broadband Provider

Finally, Virgin Media and O2 were found to have provided the Best Combined Connectivity Experience. While VMO2 performed at or near the top in a majority of the metrics, Sky Mobile also performed well in video streaming and reliability. Interestingly, reliability across all combined providers remained constant when compared to last year’s results.

When looking at throughputs, the fastest average available download throughput by a combined provider was offered by VMO2 at over 150Mbps – well over double the average of its closest rival (EE/BT with an average download throughput of over 65Mbps). When looking at available uploads, VMO2 was also top with an average throughput of 34Mbps.

Combined Mobile and Broadband Ranking for H1 2024

1. O2 + Virgin Media
2. Sky Mobile + Sky Broadband
3. EE + BT
4. Vodafone + Vodafone Broadband
5. EE + EE
6. Three UK + Three Broadband

Dr Paul Carter, CEO of GWS, said:

“We’ve released this report to provide a holistic look at the state of the UK’s wireless connectivity – which includes whether you’re connecting via an ISP or mobile network. What we need from our networks varies depending on where we are – if you’re going to be using your phone at home while sharing a network with other people or devices, most of the time it will require higher speeds than if you’re on the go using your mobile network. Our life isn’t one-dimensional running on one network, so nor should our testing be. That’s why we’ve tested the different types of networks people are accessing on their phones, to provide a more meaningful overview of the UK’s connectivity experience today.”

Sadly, we don’t get a more detailed breakdown of the results for each individual provider, which is a pity as the vague ranking table doesn’t really provide much in the way of useful information. The use of WiFi terminology also suggests that the broadband testing was conducted over a local wireless network, which leaves connections open to all sorts of performance issues due to the highly variable nature of wireless signals in different environments and at different distances. It’s often far better to test over a wired link.

Finally, the study also included ‘Three Broadband’ as an option in the broadband table, which is slightly confusing as they use broadly the same 4G / 5G technology as Three’s regular mobile broadband network. But being able to fairly compare a highly variable mobile network with a modern fibre-based fixed line one is fraught with difficulty.

The post GWS Rank Virgin Media and EE Best for UK Broadband and Mobile in H1 2024 appeared first on GWS.

The platform became the world’s fastest-growing app shortly after it launched, hitting 100 million users in just five days.

A year on, Threads is still growing, albeit not as quickly. Zuckerberg said last week that the X rival now has more than 175 million monthly active users.

Threads owes much of its early success to its close links with Instagram.

Users were able to sign up with their Instagram login, making it easy to create an account and find contacts. It also launched when some were seeking an alternative to Twitter following Elon Musk’s takeover.

In contrast, X’s growth is stalling. The platform said its number of global daily active users increased by 1.6% to 251 million in the second quarter of this year, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

That represents a 1.6% year-over-year increase and contrasts with the double-digit growth the platform generally posted before Musk bought it.

In a recent interview with Platformer, Threads and Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the aim was still to overtake X. However, Threads was focusing on differentiating itself from X in a bid to win more users.

“Another key focus is how do we double down on one of our differentiators, which is just to be a less angry space,” Mosseri told the outlet, adding that undertaking some “basic content moderation” had helped.

Zuckerberg originally promoted Threads as a “friendlier” alternative to X. But a year on, it does not yet appear to have become a genuine threat to Musk’s platform.

“In the short term at least, Threads does not pose a significant challenge to X,” Paul Carter, CEO of the telecommunications firm GWS, told Business Insider.

“Threads needs to do more to set itself apart if it’s going to pose a significant challenge or even look to overtake X in the future,” he said.

Engagement issues

Meta says Threads has 175 million active monthly users. Still, data provided to the FT from the analytics company Sensor Tower estimates the platform only has 38 million visitors daily, which suggests that users open the app less often than other platforms.

In April, Sensor Tower estimated that Threads averaged 28 million daily active users in the US, while X had an average of 22 million.

However, according to data provided by GWS, Threads still had a problem engaging users.

“Despite recent growth, it is struggling to keep its users on the platform for a sustained period,” Carter said. “As of June 2024, users spent just six minutes on the app each day, compared to X at 23 minutes or Instagram at 36 minutes.”

“New entrants into the social-media market can succeed — just look at the rise of TikTok. For Threads, however, the platform simply isn’t sufficiently setting itself apart,” he added.

An Instagram add-on

While Meta still backs Threads to overtake X, the platform still very much exists alongside Instagram.

“Threads remains highly dependent on Instagram. In fact, it is hard to see how Threads would have amassed its audience without Instagram,” Carter said.

Mosseri acknowledged that the platform was still “deeply integrated with Instagram,” but said he planned to make it more independent.

“We’re working on things like Threads-only accounts and data separation,” he said. “As we iterate on the product, it’s gonna differentiate more and more.”

But given that it’s so intrinsically linked to Meta’s vastly more popular app, it’s difficult to see Threads fully escaping from Instagram’s shadow in the near future.

The post Meta is still betting that Threads can beat Elon Musk’s X — but Zuckerberg faces an uphill battle appeared first on GWS.

London, 16 July – Wireless network benchmarking specialist GWS has announced the results of its connectivity experience awards, seeing Virgin Media O2 winning two awards for Best Broadband Experience and Best Combined Connectivity Experience, and EE coming top for Best Mobile Experience.

The results, revealed in full in GWS’ 2024 Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report, follow six months of extensive data collection from GWS’ opt-in consumer panel of 6,000 participants (18+), where the company collected over half a billion data points and conducted over 1.5 million tests related to throughput, video streaming, reliability, packet loss, and latency involving the UK’s major mobile operators and ISPs. In addition to determining the awards, GWS also wanted to provide deeper insights into the overall user experience. This was done by collecting app engagement data via the consumer’s device and attitudinal data via polling.

Commenting on the results, Dr Paul Carter, CEO, Global Wireless Solutions, said: “We’ve released this report to provide a holistic look at the state of the UK’s wireless connectivity – which includes whether you’re connecting via an ISP or mobile network. What we need from our networks varies depending on where we are – if you’re going to be using your phone at home while sharing a network with other people or devices, most of the time it will require higher speeds than if you’re on the go using your mobile network. Our life isn’t one-dimensional running on one network, so nor should our testing be. That’s why we’ve tested the different types of networks people are accessing on their phones, to provide a more meaningful overview of the UK’s connectivity experience today.”

1^st Award: Virgin Media wins Best Broadband Experience

Figure 1: 2024 Best Broadband Experience Award

Broadband Performance Test Results and Award Ranking:

• Test winner: Based on performance test results of the UK’s major nationwide ISPs, GWS found that Virgin Media has the Best Broadband Experience out of all ISPs tested (see Figure 1).
• Performance metrics measured: reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, packet loss, and video streaming (resolution, freezing, and loading).
• Test highlights: Virgin Media led the pack when looking at mean download throughputs (across all panellists), offering over 170Mbps. The next closest rival was Vodafone broadband providing less than half the throughput (over 75Mbps), illustrating a significant divide in performance when it came to download throughput. VMO2 also performed best in video streaming finishing tops with best resolution and quickest time to load.

User Insights on Broadband Experience:

• App engagement data collected by GWS shows that UK consumers spend nearly one-third of their waking day on their smartphones, and most of that time (78%) is spent on WiFi networks.
• GWS polling also found that a typical household has between 13 and 14 different connected devices, with examples including smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, smart TVs, smart appliances, and security cameras. Looking at mobile devices specifically (smartphones and tablets), households typically have at least four connected. What’s more, over half of all households say that the majority of the members in their house are using the internet simultaneously for more than 5 hours a day, showing the importance of stable and fast broadband connections for work and play.

2^nd Award: EE wins Best Mobile Experience

Figure 2: 2024 Best Mobile Experience Award

Performance Test Results and Award Ranking:

• Test winner: GWS testing found that EE provides the Best Mobile Experience by a major operator in the UK (see Figure 2).
• Performance metrics measured: reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, packet loss, and video streaming (resolution, freezing, and loading).
• Test highlights: EE performed top in most of the test categories including reliability, video streaming, and latency. In terms of throughputs, Three had the highest download throughput at 63 Mbps and was tied with EE for the highest upload throughput at 17Mbps

User Insights on Mobile Experience:

• In terms of what people are doing on their phones, GWS data shows that people spend most of their time on mobile devices accessing social media, communications, and navigation apps. In fact, people spend over 50% of their time on just 10 connectivity and social media apps, with Facebook at the top, followed by Chrome Browser, WhatsApp, Google Maps, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Gmail, and Snapchat.
• GWS’ test results for mobile show that operators are all managing the everyday throughput requirements for consumers. This is because the apps that consumers use require far less throughput from the mobile network than what the network is capable of providing. Put another way, GWS measured the throughputs that are delivered to consumers while using their apps and found that throughputs are generally much lower than the maximum throughputs the networks are capable of providing. In contrast, broadband requires much higher throughputs due to the number of devices accessing the network at any one point in time from the same household.

3^rd Award: Virgin Media O2 wins Best Combined Connectivity Experience

Figure 3: 2024 Best Combined Connectivity Experience Award

Performance Test Results and Award Rankings:

• Test winner: In the final award, GWS analysed the performance of partner network bundles across ISP and mobile and found Virgin Media O2 to have the Best Combined Connectivity Experience (Figure 3). The award is the UK’s only performance measure that brings together results from across both mobile operators and ISP partners in one score.
• Performance metrics measured: reliability, latency, upload and download network available throughputs, delivered throughputs, packet loss, and video streaming (resolution, freezing, and loading).
• Test highlights: GWS tests determined that Virgin Media O2 performed at or near the top in a majority of the metrics with Sky also performing well in video streaming and reliability. Interestingly, reliability across all combined providers remained constant when compared to last year’s results. Of note, when looking at throughputs, the fastest average download throughput by a combined provider was offered by Virgin Media O2 at over 150Mbps – well over double the average of its closest rival (EE/BT with an average download throughput of over 65Mbps). When looking at uploads, Virgin Media O2 was also top with an average throughput of 34Mbps

User Insights: How important have bundled packages become?

• GWS consumer polling found that the desire to switch to a bundle deal is one of the top three reasons why consumers are currently interested in changing their mobile operator.
• For those consumers who aren’t currently looking to change, when asked what would make them change operators, getting a good bundled deal from another operator was one of their top three choices.

For more information please download the full 2024 Nationwide Connectivity Experience Report.                                                                               

The post Virgin Media O2 and EE come top at GWS connectivity experience awards appeared first on GWS.

Threads user base: After a bumpy start to life, in which Threads struggled to retain and engage users, the company has amassed a reasonably sized user base. The platform currently boasts around 14.4 million monthly active users in the US – an all-time high and a 30% increase from where it was at the turn of the year. However, to evaluate Threads solely in terms of its user numbers would be misleading given its dependency on advertising and account sign ups from other Meta owned platforms. Engagement on Threads is the real metric of success, and the platform has struggled in that regard.

Threads app engagement: Without a sufficiently engaging and unique proposition, Threads has struggled to truly engage its audience. Despite recent growth, it is struggling to keep its users on the platform for a sustained period. As of June 2024, users spent just 6 minutes on the app each day. Compared to X at 23 minutes, Instagram at 36 minutes or TikTok on which users spend a remarkable 80 minutes per day, Threads has real engagement issues. For a social media platform, where engagement is the aim of the game, this is a big issue. New entrants into the social media market can succeed – just look at the rise of TikTok. For Threads, however, the platform simply isn’t sufficiently setting itself apart.

Threads and X: In the short term, Threads does not pose a significant challenge to X. Though the company has had recent success in terms of a growing user base, it suffers from a lack of engagement. What’s more, 47% of monthly Threads users are also currently on X. Compared to just 17% in the other direction, Threads needs to do more to set itself apart if it’s going to pose a significant challenge or even look to overtake X in the future.

Threads and Instagram: Threads remains highly dependent on Instagram – in fact, it is hard to see how Threads would have amassed its audience without Instagram. From a user perspective, 98% of those active on Threads also used Instagram in the same month, and 87% used it on the same day. Where Threads might be able to differentiate itself from Instagram is in terms of its audience. Threads users skew male (58%) (and X is more heavily male at 69%), whereas Instagram is more female (51%). Threads users are also older than the typical Instagram user. If Meta execs are concerned with setting the platforms apart, understanding these different audiences will be key. And with hundreds of millions of users across Meta owned platforms in the US and beyond, the opportunity for growth is there. A compelling engagement strategy is the way to do it.

Note: App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers (age 18+) participating in our market research programs in the United Kingdom and the United States. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of the U.K. and U.S. mobile connectivity experience. Data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a U.K. or U.S. user’s demographic representation of their country’s respective adult population. For more information visit https://gwsmagnify.com/

About GWS: For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for 28 years.

GWS Media Contact:
Adam Hudson
[email protected]

The post News Alert: Threads One Year Review appeared first on GWS.

• Adult US users are spending over two times more time on TikTok than Instagram each time they open the app, with the typical user spending 13 days a year spent just on TikTok (considering an average 16 waking hours a day)
• As of May 2024, the average TikTok session lasts 8 minutes, with users spending 34 minutes daily on the app. The average session on Instagram lasts just 3 minutes with users spending just 17 minutes on the app daily on average, half of TikTok’s engagement
• In May 2024, TikTok users in the US clocked a combined total of 106 billion minutes on the app. In the same month, Instagram came in at the lesser, albeit still very high, figure of 58 billion minutes
• Unsurprisingly, it is the youngest users who are driving the most engagement on both TikTok and Instagram. Users in the 18-24 age range spend on average 57 minutes on Tik Tok and 33 minutes on Instagram each day – for context, this is nearly 2 weeks (12 days) a year on Instagram, and more than 3 weeks on Tik Tok (22 days)
• As of May 2024, Instagram was slightly ahead in terms of user numbers with 109 million monthly active users, compared to TikTok’s 100 million. What’s more, while 43% of TikTok users are also on Instagram, just 37% of Instagram users are on TikTok, reflecting the platform’s wider user base

Dr Paul Carter, CEO, GWS comments: “Social media companies have been fighting a battle for user engagement for years, and TikTok is currently winning. But while looking at how many times apps are being opened is important, what really matters is how long they stay on those apps. And not only is TikTok winning this battle against Instagram, it’s also winning the bigger battle – the battle for consumer time. Our devices know everything about us – they know what our interests are, who our friends are, where we like to shop and where we spend our free time. The time and energy that people are investing on TikTok is astounding, but that time comes at a cost, as the more time we spend on apps like TikTok, the less time we spend elsewhere. Whatever happens in the ongoing TikTok saga, it’s no surprise that TikTok’s algorithm has been brought into the debate – as whoever holds consumer eyeballs for longest, holds the power.”

Note: App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers participating in our market research programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of both the U.S. and U.K. mobile connectivity experience. In particular, data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a user’s demographic representation of each country’s adult population.

About GWS: For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for over 27 years.

GWS Media Contact: 
Adam Hudson
[email protected]

The post News Alert: Algorithm wars: TikTok vs. Instagram appeared first on GWS.

• Virgin Money has about 1.8mn monthly active app users – this is significantly lower than Nationwide which had about 6.2mn in May 2024
• Taking overlap into consideration, the combination of Nationwide and Virgin Money would tie with Halifax for the most monthly active app users at 7.5mn if Nationwide acquires Virgin Money
• Both Nationwide and Virgin Money monthly active users have fallen over the last year (May 2024 over May 2023) – down 3.1% and 10.9% respectively. This is in contrast to other mobile banking apps that have seen the number of monthly active users grow, specifically Barclays which is up 8.5% on monthly active users and Lloyds which is up 6.7%
• When looking at the broader mobile banking landscape, Virgin Money has the highest proportion of older users aged 45 and above at 74%. Nationwide is slightly lower at 60%
• Virgin Money boasts a more loyal customer base than Nationwide with only about 33% of its users also on other apps, while 45% of Nationwide customers are using multiple banking apps

Commenting on the proposed merger between Nationwide and Virgin Money, Dr Paul Carter, GWS: “The CMA’s consultation period comes to a close this week, following which judgement will be cast on whether Nationwide’s takeover bid of Virgin Money can go ahead. If the deal goes ahead, the bank will be second only to Lloyds in terms of branch numbers. But while much discussion has been focused on the physical world, little has been said about the mobile world where another battle is raging – the battle for mobile app engagement.

The rise of mobile apps has taken the sector by storm and there’s no denying that mobile is increasingly important for the industry and its customers. While Halifax currently has the top spot for the number of monthly active mobile users, if the deal goes ahead, Nationwide and Virgin Money would overtake Barclays to be joint top with Halifax. But how long they retain this is questionable, as over the last year we’ve seen the number of monthly active mobile app users for both Nationwide and Virgin Money fall. This is in contrast to other apps like Barclays and Lloyds which have seen big gains in monthly active app users. So while a deal may be a boost for the number of mobile app users in the short term, this won’t last long if the firm is not able to find ways of drawing customers to its app for longer-term engagement. And in today’s world where we are relying on our phones more and more for essential services like banking, this is crucial for long-term success.”  

Note: App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers (age 18+) participating in our market research programs in the United Kingdom and the United States. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of the U.K. and U.S. mobile connectivity experience. Data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a U.K. or U.S. user’s demographic representation of their country’s respective adult population. For more information visit https://gwsmagnify.com/

About GWS: For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for 28 years.

GWS Media Contact: 
Adam Hudson
[email protected]

The post News Alert: Nationwide and Virgin Money – A look at their customers appeared first on GWS.

Prices at the company rose at a faster rate than its high-street rivals H&M and Zara in a bid to boost its revenue before its £50 billion listing, research from retail intelligence company Edited found.

Famed for its low prices that undercut both high street retailers and European rivals, analysts said the price cuts were part of the company’s plan to demonstrate its ability to charge more ahead of a float.

Examples of the price rises include a Shein dress which rose to £24.12 in the UK, increasing by 15% in a year, while the same product in Germany, Italy and France lifted by 36%.

“If they can demonstrate that these prices stick then the valuation increases significantly,” Alex Romanenko at Pearson Ham Group said to Reuters in an interview.

New research also highlighted that talk of Shein’s listing in the UK has caused a 45% rise in its customer base in the country since the start of 2024, according to GWS Magnify.

As of May this year, Shein had around 10.5 million monthly users in the UK, marking a 28% rise in the last twelve months.

The post Shein looks to boost sales with price hike ahead of London IPO appeared first on GWS.

• Shein currently boasts 10.5 million monthly active users in the UK market (May 2024), with a year-on-year growth rate of 28%
• After experiencing a slowdown in its growth rate through the latter half of 2023, Shein has seen a spike in users over the first half of 2024 – it has increased its monthly user numbers by 45% since the turn of the year (Dec 2023)
• Shein users skew heavily female and are typically younger. Over three quarters (78%) of its adult user base in the UK are women and 40% are below the age of 34
• Like fellow Chinese eCommerce platform Temu, Shein’s success in the UK has been driven by its app engagement. As of May 2024, Shein users were spending 9.1 minutes a day on its app – a much higher figure than its apparel rival ASOS (6.6 minutes) – and averaging 3.8 sessions a day

Note: App engagement data was generated using Magnify, GWS’s mobile intelligence data platform. Magnify is comprised of key insights collected from consumers (age 18+) participating in our market research programs in the United Kingdom and the United States. These are real-life consumers who use their mobile devices as normal throughout the day so that the analytics data GWS gathers provides the most accurate picture of the U.K. and U.S. mobile connectivity experience. Data is anonymously collected from Android smartphones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever and wherever the consumers use their devices. Data is reported in aggregate for market research purposes only. All information collected is weighted to a U.K. or U.S. user’s demographic representation of their country’s respective adult population. For more information visit https://gwsmagnify.com/

About GWS: For most consumers today, their mobile device is their life’s remote control. As an independent mobile insights consulting firm, GWS measures every aspect of how people live, work, and play via their mobile devices – as well as how mobile network performance affects them.

Combining our market-leading network benchmarking technology and methodology with deep behavioral data, we help businesses and organizations drive innovation and deliver better customer experiences through mobile insights, anywhere in the world. Championing the needs of mobile users by understanding and testing the things that matter to them, we’ve evolved our technology and services in step with the needs of industry and consumers for over 27 years.

GWS Media Contact:
Adam Hudson
[email protected]

The post News Alert: Shein users on the rise in the UK appeared first on GWS.

So far in May, U.S. daily visits to Truth Social have dropped more than 21% from April, and more than 35% compared to March, according to digital intelligence platform Similarweb.

The site’s average number of monthly visits over the past year — just over 4 million from May 2023 to April 2024 — plummeted more than 39% from the prior 12-month period, from May 2022 to April 2023, Similarweb reported.

The traffic has declined even as Trump — the most prominent Truth Social user and the majority shareholder of its parent company, Trump Media — has saturated the national news with coverage of his criminal trial and White House bid.

And while the app saw a surge in visitors in the lead-up to Trump Media’s public trading debut in March, Similarweb’s most recent data show that those gains have already been erased.

The user and engagement data from Similarweb and two other data firms, collected and analyzed exclusively for CNBC, offers a glimpse into how Trump Media’s flagship product is developing — one that the company itself has yet to provide.

The company claims it does not track key indicators that social media platforms traditionally use to monitor their performance. Those include metrics like a site’s active user accounts and its daily and monthly visitor numbers, as well as its revenue per user and ad impressions.

Trump Media says it believes tracking those stats “might not align with the best interests” of the company or its stockholders, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company also said it “may never collect, monitor, or report any or certain key operating metrics.”

CNBC reached out to Trump Media for comment on the firms’ findings, and asked if it could provide any data of its own.

“Why would we comment on a fake news network reporting on fake analyses?” the company said through a spokesperson.

But the new analyses could be warning signs for Trump Media, whose business depends in large part on growing its user base.

“If you can’t demonstrate that you have a sizeable, active, engaged, growing audience, I don’t understand how you create a successful ad-supported social media business,” said David Carr, Similarweb’s editor of insights, news and research, in an interview.

Trump Media relies entirely on ad sales for its revenue, and discloses in its SEC filings that a decline in user engagement could hurt its business by making Truth Social less attractive to advertisers.

The post Trump’s Truth Social struggles to grow its user base, according to new data appeared first on GWS.