Nearly a third of US and UK consumers plan to switch internet providers, survey finds

A new consumer study shows that around 28 percent of US and 37 percent of UK households are considering switching internet service providers in the near future, mainly due to concerns over service quality.

The findings suggest that poor connectivity and customer support continue to be major drivers of churn in the broadband market.

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The research, conducted by Qualtrics for Airties, surveyed more than 2,000 households across the US and UK and found that quality issues outweigh price for many consumers, with nearly one in three households actively considering a change.

Those who are very dissatisfied with their Internet experience are much more likely to switch, with 82 percent of US and 92 percent of UK respondents in that category planning to move to another provider soon.

“This survey research underscores a clear message for ISPs: service quality continues to drive churn,” said Metin Taskin, CEO and founder of Airties. “Nearly one-third of households in the US and UK are actively considering switching providers due to poor quality of experience. It's a multi-billion-dollar problem for broadband service providers globally. With such high churn rates, ISPs are forced to spend incredible time and money chasing new customers every year, just to break even for the customers they lost. Any incremental improvement in churn can unlock growth and massively improve the bottom line. This survey is further evidence of the imperative for ISPs to focus on customer retention by improving quality. Consumers want fast, consistent, and quality home Wi-Fi connectivity, and the data also shows they are willing to pay more for it.”

Among respondents who have already switched providers in the past 12 months, 47 percent of US consumers cited poor quality of experience (36 percent) and customer support issues (11 percent) as their main reasons for leaving, while 38 percent said better pricing or contract terms motivated the move

In the UK, 49 percent of respondents mentioned poor service quality (41 percent) and weak customer support (8 percent), while 35 percent changed providers for better pricing.

Despite these shifts, many consumers are not saving money. About 69 percent of US respondents and 74 percent of UK respondents who switched said they now pay the same or more than they did with their previous provider.

Internet connectivity issues

Connectivity problems remain widespread, too. Nearly three-quarters of households in both regions report noticeable Wi-Fi interruptions. The most common frustrations include slow browsing, video freezing, and devices disconnecting, all of which contribute to churn. Consumers with stronger connectivity are estimated to be three to four times less likely to leave their current provider.

The survey also found that streaming dominates Internet use in both countries, with the focus for UK households on video streaming and Wi-Fi calling, and video streaming and gaming in the US.

Have you been considering changing your ISP? Let us know in the comments.