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The shift to expanded telework during the pandemic is revealing new app winners and losers. In addition, demographics have a surprising impact on consumers’ communications behavior.
GWS’s consumer research survey is a thorough examination of consumer communication habits, including behavioral shifts during COVID-19, consumer satisfaction with their wireless carriers and mobile devices, and variances based on demographics such as location (urban, suburban, and rural) and age group. The data shows a dynamic story of the products and technologies that Americans are turning to during the pandemic, as well as rapidly evolving priorities and preferences shaped by more time living, working and communicating from home.
The following are key takeaways from GWS’s survey of 5,000 U.S. smartphone users.
Zoom was the top choice among video calling and conferencing tools during the COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate – most popular and most widely used.
When asked which one mobile phone capability consumers would keep for at home telework the top choice was voice:
If consumers could only keep one product or service during the COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate, their top choice was their smartphone (based on % of respondents selecting a certain product/service):
Consumers are generally content with carrier overall performance:
84% of survey respondents said that their carrier has met their mobile communications needs in terms of wireless performance ‘always’ or ‘most of the time.’
Carrier performances are still given high marks when looking at specific needs:
When needs are further broken down by network coverage, voice calling quality and reliability, and data throughput and reliability, 80% or more of the respondents felt that their carrier met each of these needs most or all of the time.
Stick with or switch carriers – depends on where you live:
When given the option to stay with their current operator or switch to a new one:
Rural and Suburban: 76% of rural and 76% of suburban survey respondents would keep their current operator because it offered the services and/or devices they want
Urban: 51% of urban respondents would stick with their current operator for the same reasons.
Strong consumer satisfaction suggests that carriers are delivering on capabilities most important to their subscribers. In fact, the three most important factors for consumers when selecting a carrier are network coverage, reliability, and network speed:
All survey figures, unless stated otherwise, are from a study commissioned by GWS and conducted by Toluna. Total sample size was over 5,000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 16th and July 3rd, 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of Americans (aged 18+).
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 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 www.GWSinsights.com.
Using Our Data: All information, test results, performance metrics, or awards provided in any GWS press release or report may not used by an entity for marketing or advertising purposes (including, for example, promotion via the entity’s website or social media channels or paid-for promotion such as, but not limited to, print, online, radio, TV, and social media) without prior approval from GWS. Email [email protected] for further details.
