Has the “Buffering” Symbol on Your Computer Become Your Screen Saver?
The increase in purchases and use of connected devices in the home has driven Internet speeds below consumers’ expectations, according to new findings from the Verizon and Harris Interactive survey results first released on February 19.*
- 47% of consumers polled say they have become visibly upset because their Internet service is too slow.
In fact, consumers’ frustration surged even higher when they were asked to sit through buffering during live and streamed content such as:
| Very Upset/Upset/Annoyed |
Watch live streaming events (e.g. sporting events, music events) | 83% |
Watch streaming movies or TV shows using a streaming service (e.g., Netflix or Amazon Prime) | 85% |
Stream music (e.g., Pandora, Spotify) | 83% |
Watch short video clips (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, news clips) | 82% |
Play multiplayer online games | 82% |
Browse image heavy pin-board or wish-board sites (e.g., Pinterest, Svpply) | 75% |
Upgrading to Verizon’s FiOS Quantum home broadband service could be the speedy solution for these content conundrums. Starting this week, all existing FiOS Internet customers can upgrade to our FiOS Quantum 50/25 mbps speed tier for just $10 more a month and keep the speed for as long as they wish. That’s $10 a month for better streaming video on TVs, better internet for multiplayer gaming, multiple tablets, faster downloads and, overall, a broadband connection worthy of your connected home.
Keep a close eye on the VZ Newscenter for more updates on how FiOS Quantum is helping consumers get up to speed.
*Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Verizon from February 1-5, 2013 among 2,176 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.