In advance of the 2025 Network X conference, Airties, a specialist in AI-driven software that improves the connectivity experience, has announced findings from a consumer survey, independently conducted by Qualtrics, of more than 2,000 households across the US and UK. The survey revealed a looming churn crisis for ISPs: approximately one-third of households are considering switching providers in the near future, with quality of service being a decisive factor.

 “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.”

Looming Risk for ISPs 

• Looking ahead, 37 per cent of UK respondents and 28 per cent of US respondents said they are considering switching ISPs in the near future.
• Among those considering a switch, 31 per cent of UK respondents and 42 per cent of US respondents cite poor Internet quality as the primary reason.
• The most frustrating quality issues cited that would make respondents want to switch providers include slow Internet browsing (55 per cent UK; 50 per cent US), video freezing (52 per cent UK; 55 per cent US), and devices disconnecting (49 per cent UK; 58 per cent US).

Recent Churn & Correlation Between Dissatisfaction and Future Churn

• 24 per cent of UK consumers and 18 per cent of US consumers said they have switched ISPs in the past 12 months.
• Many dissatisfied consumers endured problems for 3 or more months, including waiting until the end of their contract terms, before leaving their ISP (43 per cent UK; 61 per cent US).
• Nearly all contacted their ISP to complain before leaving (88 per cent UK; 85 per cent US).
• Very dissatisfied consumers are far more likely to churn: 92 per cent of UK and 82 per cent of US respondents who are currently very dissatisfied with their Internet are considering switching ISPs in the near future; Consumers with better connectivity are 3-4 times less likely to churn.

Wi-Fi Quality & Customer Support > Price

• 79 per cent of UK respondents and 74 per cent in the US said they currently experience noticeable Wi-Fi problems or interruptions.
• For those who already switched providers in the UK over the past 12 months, 49 per cent of total respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (41 per cent) and poor customer support issues (8 per cent) as the primary reasons for switching, while 35 per cent cited better pricing/contract options.
  • Among a list of problematic experiences cited for those who switched in the UK, the primary issues were poor Internet quality (39 per cent), unreliable connectivity (28 per cent), and difficulty fixing Internet problems when they occurred (27 per cent).
  • Among a list of specific Internet quality issues cited for those who switched in the UK, the most problematic issues were slow browsing (52 per cent) and video freezing (49 per cent).
• For those who already switched providers in the US over the past 12 months, 47 per cent of total respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (36 per cent) and poor customer support (11 per cent), while 38 per cent cited better pricing/contract options.
  • Among a list of problematic experience issues cited for those who switched in the US, the primary issues were poor Internet quality (44 per cent), unreliable connectivity (27 per cent), and difficulty fixing Internet problems when they occurred (28 per cent).
  • Among a list of specific Internet quality issues cited for those who switched in the US, the most problematic issues were slow browsing (36 per cent US) and video freezing (50 per cent US).

Consumers Will Pay More for Reliable, High-Quality Wi-Fi

• Consumers who switched ISPs in the past 12 months said they actually pay the same or more than they did with their previous ISP (74 per cent UK; 69 per cent US).
• Consumers prioritise quality over savings: 74 per cent in the UK and 58 per cent in the US would not switch ISPs for a lower price if it meant worse Wi-Fi.

Exceptional Connectivity is Essential

• Streaming dominates daily use across both sides of the pond, with UK households prioritising video streaming and Wi-Fi calling (e.g., WhatsApp, FaceTime, etc.) as the top priorities; and US households prioritising video streaming and online gaming as the top priorities.
• Consumers want smarter network management: 75 per cent of UK and 56 per cent of US respondents said the ability to control or prioritise their bandwidth based on applications (e.g. giving Zoom higher priority over YouTube) would be valuable.
• 82 per cent of UK and 55 per cent of US respondents said they are interested in a Wi-Fi system that automatically predicts and prioritizes Internet usage based on household needs.

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

Tags: Airties, ISPs, wifi