F2S Predicts Increased Wi-Fi Usage
Posted: 14th Apr, 2005 By: MarkJ
The WiFi Man 2005 Report, conducted by ISP Freedom2Surf, has predicted that UK Wi-Fi Hotspot usage will increase by 35% during 2005. However, 40% of the population are still unaware of the technology:
According to research carried out by Freedom2Surf, half of all women and one quarter of all men had never heard of WiFi signalling a very strong gender, knowledge & awareness gap in the UK.
However, in a positive note for the future growth potential of the wireless industry, Freedom2Surfs WiFi Man Report revealed that the 16-24yr old age group had the highest awareness of the technology with almost 30 per cent stating that they connect to the Internet via a WiFi hotspot more than once a week.
USAGE ON THE INCREASE:
Examining the amount of time people spend connected via WiFi, the report found that 40 per cent of regular users spend 10 minutes a day on average connected to a hotspot, while a further 40 per cent spend at least an hour in a single session. Around 10 per cent of users surveyed connect three to four times a day for at least 20 minutes at a time.
The research also examined whether current users are planning to increase WiFi usage in 2005. The survey found that over a third (35%) expect to increase the time they spend connected in the coming year, with 15 per cent stating that they expect their usage to increase dramatically in 2005. Again the 16-24yr age group is expecting to increase its usage the most (52%) compared to 34 per cent of the 35-44 age group.
BARRIERS TO UPTAKE:
The report found that the biggest barrier which prevents UK consumers connecting to hotspots more often is a lack of regular access to a Wi-Fi enabled laptop (40 per cent). This was closely followed by the perceived high cost of accessing the Internet through a WiFi hotspot with 30% citing price as the biggest barrier. The survey also found that almost a third of consumers are unaware of where hotspots are actually located. The fourth barrier to greater uptake, highlighted by over one in five respondents, was the perceived complexity of set-up and payment for WiFi hotspot services.
PRICE:
There were some interesting variations on the research results, with price being the biggest barrier for almost half of those aged 16-24 (42 per cent), while only 24% of 35-44 year olds acknowledged it as a drawback.
UPTAKE:
Geographically, the research found that London is easily the WiFi hotspot of the UK with a higher usage and higher awareness of what WiFi is all about largely because there are more hotspots in London than anywhere else in the UK whilst the residents of Yorkshire are the least Wi-Fi savvy. And despite their silver surfer tag, UK consumers aged 55+ were revealed as being the weakest Wi-Fi user group, with just 11 per cent having used a hotspot.
Some 1,000 consumers were polled for the survey.
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