Advanced Television

Survey: Net neutrality is dead

July 9, 2014

netneutralityFlash Networks, specialists in mobile Internet optimisation and monetisation, has published a study revealing that 69 per cent of operators and,  74 per cent of subscribers think that mobile operators should be allowed to offer a fast lane connection to premium content providers. Flash Networks’ annual LTE survey conducted at LTE World Summit polled both subscribers and mobile operators to uncover quality of experience trends.

Flash Networks’ survey also revealed that although 84 per cent of subscribers believe that operators are responsible for video stalls and buffers, only 63 per cent of operators claim responsibility for an unsatisfactory quality of experience. However, 80 per cent of operators already optimise or plan to optimise video and data to adapt to network conditions. These responses suggest that while operators are reluctant to admit responsibility, they recognise that video quality is vital to customer satisfaction.

Compared with last year’s survey, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of operators who felt that their network was “Super fast – 20Mpbs download throughput” (48 per cent in 2013 versus 31 per cent in 2014), leading 75 per cent of operators this year to report that they already accelerate or plan to implement an acceleration solution within the next year. These results reflect both a higher bar for 4G network speeds and operators’ concerns about their ability to provide their users with the best possible quality of experience while managing the rapid increase in mobile data traffic.

Furthermore, 58 per cent of subscribers revealed that speed is a deciding factor in choosing an LTE network, second only to coverage, and not surprisingly, 97 per cent think operators should invest in accelerating LTE networks.

“Subscribers are demanding a superior quality of experience (QoE) and hold the operator responsible for it; but, at the same time, they are giving operators the green light to do what needs to be done to improve QoE by approving of fast lanes for premium content,” said Eyal Hilzenrat, Vice President of Product and Marketing at Flash Networks. “Our survey results demonstrate that operators recognize the need for mobile video and data optimisation to stay competitive, and are continuously looking for acceleration technologies to enable them to speed up their LTE networks, and ultimately provide a better experience for subscribers.”

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Consumer Behaviour, ISP, Research