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The lack of quality broadband’s availability in rural areas correlates with a lack of streaming service subscriptions, suggests new YouGov research
For many of us, subscriptions to a streaming service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime have been part of our lives for many years. However, it is easy to take for granted the level of broadband connection required to enjoy these services to the full, something which is still unattainable for some of the more rural areas around the UK.
In a recent study on behalf of Netgem by YouGov, data showed a stark divide in streaming service uptake between London and Scotland. Scottish respondents were shown to be twice as likely to have no streaming service subscriptions compared to Londoners.
The study attributing this disparity to the availability of quality broadband, with average broadband speeds in London twice that of Scotland. Some parts of Scotland were shown to have have up to 24% of areas with broadband speeds of under 15mbps, compared to just 0.82% of London.
This is not a matter of a lack of demand. The research showed that four in five rural respondents were unsure or would consider switching to an ultrafast broadband package that included streaming services if they were available, with only 21% saying they would not consider switching.
This was a statistic borne out by the demographic data, which showed that 57% of 18–24-year-olds, 62% of full-time students, and 59% of households with one or two children saying they would be more likely to switch to a broadband provider that offered bundled streaming services.
“Today’s findings show that there is a clear link between slow average broadband speeds and lack of uptake in streaming services,” said Shan Eisenberg, CCO at Netgem UK. “The research shows that the demand for ultrafast broadband and streaming services is there in rural areas, so there is a huge opportunity for the altnets to fill this gap in the market and bring consumers in underserved areas of the countries the fibre and TV streaming bundles that are so successful everywhere in the country.”
Of course, rural connectivity is improving across the UK as part of the ongoing push to meet the government’s ambitious fibre broadband targets. Altnets are providing a major boost in this regard, with research from Point Topic showing that altnets will be making gigabit-capable broadband available to an additional 4 million UK homes by the end of the year, bringing the total to around 6.6 million. Ultrafast services by altnets predicted to hit around 1.1 million households by the end of the year.
Can the bundling of streaming services have a major impact on the uptake of ultrafast broadband services in the UK? Find out from the experts at this year’s live Connected Britain event
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