Canadian consumers have growing expectations for the quality of 5G performance and are blaming providers when internet connections are spotty, according to a researcher.
Jasmeet Sethi, director of Ericsson Research’s ConsumerLab, says a “satisfaction gap” is emerging, with Canadian consumers 10% less satisfied with the quality of their 5G service after using it for more than ‘a year.
Speaking at the Canadian Telecommunications Summit this week in Toronto, he said major performance issues are still prevalent at event venues such as concerts, where high attendance levels can overwhelm networks. .
Sethi says this causes significant frustration among many consumers, to the point where it makes them three times more likely to switch carriers in search of better performance.
To accommodate these growing expectations, he said, Canadian telecom providers should focus on offering “high connectivity” to their customers, where users could pay extra to ensure that their device’s connectivity be given priority when a network is under strain.
An Abacus Data poll released Tuesday, commissioned by the Canadian Telecommunications Association, finds more than a quarter of Canadians have changed wireless plans in the past year, with 79% citing better prices and nearly half opting for more data.
