A recent study has revealed that over half of the population faces unreliable broadband issues at least twice a month, with many individuals choosing not to address the problem. The survey conducted by giffgaff, a mobile and broadband provider, highlighted instances where people missed out on significant opportunities such as concert tickets, job prospects, and even attending a family funeral online due to inconsistent wifi connections. Some participants mentioned that their relationships suffered or intimate moments were disrupted because of frequent broadband failures.
Approximately 53% of respondents encounter regular wifi problems, citing frozen work calls, lost shopping orders, and interruptions in streaming movies or TV shows as major frustrations. To combat connectivity issues, individuals are resorting to extreme measures like leaving their homes to seek better signal reception in locations such as cafes, friends’ houses, libraries, and supermarket parking lots. In some cases, people even admitted to parking outside their ex-partner’s residence to utilize their wifi.
Within households, coping strategies include wandering around to find a stronger signal, yelling at the router, using up phone data through tethering, and attempting to improve connection by leaning out of windows. Despite communal complaints in messaging groups like WhatsApp, many consumers are hesitant to switch broadband providers, deeming it too troublesome.
A significant portion (31%) find it too cumbersome to switch providers, while 25% believe that a new service would not offer any improvement. Consequently, households are dedicating nearly 50 hours annually – equivalent to a full workweek – to troubleshoot their broadband issues.
To address these common grievances, giffgaff has introduced a new full-fibre broadband service with flexible plans starting at £34 per month, no installation charges, and symmetrical upload and download speeds. The service has been rolled out in select regions and is set to expand to more areas by the year’s end.
Ash Schofield, CEO of giffgaff, emphasized the importance of reliable broadband services in light of the research findings, stating that the company’s new offering was shaped based on consumer feedback to provide a hassle-free and dependable solution. Switching to giffgaff could alleviate the frustrations experienced by individuals dealing with subpar broadband connections.