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INDUSTRIES
June 13, 2008
Report: Faster Internet Speeds are Top Priority for Customers
By Nathesh, TMCnet Contributor
A new Pike & Fischer (News - Alert) Broadband Advisory Services survey has revealed that even though communication industry service providers are promoting a lot of new services like HDTV, video content distribution, video on demand (VoD), the best way to maintain customer loyalty and attract newer ones is to provide them with faster Internet connections. The survey shows that more customers see their broadband speeds as an important factor.
Pike & Fischer's Broadband Advisory Services is the market intelligence arm of Pike & Fischer-A BNA Company, which delivers analysis on the broadband, IP
and new media businesses for strategic decision making and provide subscribers with news and analysis, deep research, ongoing financial analysis and market forecasting, market intelligence and custom research covering business and technology topics including high-speed data access, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP), streaming media, on-demand media, home networking and mobile broadband.
and new media businesses for strategic decision making and provide subscribers with news and analysis, deep research, ongoing financial analysis and market forecasting, market intelligence and custom research covering business and technology topics including high-speed data access, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP), streaming media, on-demand media, home networking and mobile broadband."This [the survey] suggests to us that, while multichannel video providers may be spending a lot of their ad dollars promoting their high-def channels and their 'triple-play' bundles, they still rely on their broadband speeds to seal the deal with customers", said Scott Sleek (News - Alert), director of Pike & Fischer's Broadband Advisory Services. "Every one wants to claim that they offer the fastest Internet access, and believe that will be more important to customers than how many HD channels they offer."
The survey took the input of more than 280 executives, engineers and consultants representing the cable, telephone, satellite TV, broadcast, and technology equipment industries. Academics and government regulators in the broadband space were also surveyed.
When the participants were asked to list the priority of services they would want from their providers and more than 40 percent chose top data rates as their first choice. About one-fourth of participants ranked HDTV service as a top choice and only 9.2 percent of participants wanted Digital phone service on top.
Pike & Fischer offers a host of legal and business products covering the telecommunications industry. Full survey results will be unveiled at Pike & Fischer's Broadband Policy Summit (News - Alert) IV on June 12-13 in Washington, DC. A complimentary copy of the resulting research report, "Communications Industry Survey: Views on the U.S. Economic and Regulatory Climate," will be provided to all attendees. The report can also be purchased for $599 at www.broadbandadvisoryservices.com.
To learn more about Broadband Policy Summit IV, visit www.broadbandpolicysummit.com.
Nathesh is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Nathesh’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Fixed Service Strategies for Mobile Network Operators, brought to you by Comverse (News - Alert).
