The Connectivity Challenge: What consumers think of European connectivity networks

High quality broadband is essential for much of what we do in our private and professional life. As such, our reliance on networks raises the question as to whether network operators are providing the connectivity we need. And is 5G playing its part and fully delivering on its promise?

BearingPoint’s 2023 telecoms study of 10,850 respondents across eight European countries reveals a mixed perception of network quality. On a European level, people in the Netherlands are the happiest with their telecommunication networks. Interestingly, as was the case in many other countries, consumers were more satisfied with their mobile network than their fixed line network.

The much-hyped 5G services are now commercially available across most of Europe. Consumers are broadly aware of 5G: 84% of those surveyed were aware of 5G. However, this is substantially more than the 27% who stated that they do actually use 5G on their smartphone. Reassuringly, for those who do use 5G, it should be recognised that 5G appears to be delivering on its promise, with 61% reporting a discernible improvement in network performance compared to 4G.

As we start to observe some business 5G offerings gaining traction, our survey shows that while consumers are aware of 5G, they do not truly understand its potential benefits. As such, more needs to be done in educating consumers on the benefits of 5G and creating compelling services.

When it comes to paying for 5G, consumers would be most likely to pay a premium for streaming services, with 40% of users willing to pay a premium. Creating a range of streaming offerings could potentially allow operators to improve the economics of 5G deployment. 

We believe network operators must adapt their market positioning to respond to the customer perspective.