Devicescape Unveils Q2 2011 WiFi Report Results

WiFi Becomes Pervasive, Moves Outside the Home; WiFi offload takes off

SAN BRUNO, Calif., June 8, 2011 — Devicescape, the leader in device WiFi, today unveiled results from its second quarter 2011 WiFi Report, revealing WiFi’s ubiquity as its usage increasingly extends beyond the confines of the home and office. This quarter’s report points to the pervasive nature of WiFi as mobile users log on in cafés, hotels, school campuses and more, and underscores the business case this WiFi megatrend makes for service providers. The survey queried 1227 Devicescape members, a cross-section that includes a variety of professionals and students.

Key findings from the “Q2 2011 Devicescape WiFi Report” showed:

  • Sixty-four percent of respondents use WiFi outside their home or office daily or many times each day, versus only 10.2 percent who use it only at their home or office.
  • Of those who use WiFi outside their home or office, most (24.4 percent) connect at a café or coffee shop, 17.3 percent at a hotel, and 15 percent at a school campus.
  • Data capping continues to play a role in consumer satisfaction this quarter, with 72.9 percent of respondents presuming they will switch carriers if faced with data capping.
  • A full 80 percent will likely adjust their downloading habits if data capping is introduced by their carrier.
  • WiFi is still considered a necessary feature, with 82 percent of respondents expecting it to be included in their overall data plan.

WiFi use Diversifies—Moves Outside the Home and Office

Once relegated to home or office use, this quarter’s survey respondents indicate a majority of WiFi users tap into the network outside of the home or office multiple times a day (44.5 percent) or daily (19.5 percent), meaning more than 64 percent of people use WiFi one time or more daily outside the home.  Only 10.2 percent use WiFi at their home or office exclusively. (Out of 227 respondents, a mere 1.6 percent never use WiFi.) Interestingly, the Q1 2010 WiFi Report indicated only slightly more than 50 percent of respondents connect to WiFi daily, with 27 percent connecting on average many times a day. This rise in popularity in just a year’s time illustrates the pervasive nature of WiFi, perhaps bolstered by the growing number of free hotspots around the world and the ever-increasing need for anytime, anywhere connectivity.

Quality of service and cost also presumably play a part here. Cellular networks continue to face difficulty offering good service in congested areas, while the local and high performance nature of WiFi tends to accommodates users in even the most populated areas. Furthermore, WiFi users avoid paying expensive cellular roaming costs, thanks to the increased availability of hotspots – many of which are free.  All this contributes to the rosy WiFi outlook.

Free WiFi a “megatrend” among consumers and service providers

These benefits have helped nestle free WiFi into the fabric of our society. WiFi is no longer just a “backup” or a “nice to have.” Rather, our survey indicates 82 percent of our respondents expect WiFi in their data plans, and presumably many also expect hotspot connectivity wherever they may roam.

While the WiFi megatrend has certainly found its niche among consumers, many service providers are taking notice of WiFi’s benefits too. By using the Devicescape Virtual WiFi Network, for example, service providers can slash the costs of carrying data traffic by a significant percentage, reduce capex and opex necessary to manage data-intensive applications, and offer an improved experience to the smartphone user.

Data capping still an issue

For those service providers that still haven’t jumped on the WiFi bandwagon, they should be ready for a backlash. As in quarters past, results from this quarter’s survey indicate users won’t take data-capping lying down. Almost 73 percent of respondents indicated they would switch carriers if their current carrier caps their data plan; 80 percent will, at the very least, rethink how much they download to their smartphone. Either way, the service provider that fails to consider WiFi as a viable option to their current overloaded network will likely reap the consequences in lost customers and revenue.

“Each quarter, the survey yields results that consistently underscore WiFi’s viability in the connected world,” said Dave Fraser, CEO of Devicescape. “This quarter’s results highlight the pervasive use of WiFi outside the home and workplace, often as a complement to cellular data and as a methodology for users to contain costs and improve their own service experience.”

Devicescape will continue to deliver information about WiFi usage and consumer behavior quarterly via the “Devicescape WiFi Report.” Devicescape encourages the public to submit questions for future surveys by sending them to: DevicescapeWiFiReport@devicescape.com.

Devicescape WiFi Report Methodology

Devicescape polled 1227 WiFi users, representing a cross-section of Devicescape’s overall membership. The survey questions were developed by Devicescape and a cross-section of industry WiFi leaders. Devicescape members include a wide array of working professionals from a variety industries as well as students in the United States and around the world. 

With more than 3 million members, Devicescape is the leader in Easy WiFi. The company has worked with original equipment manufacturers and service providers since its inception. Devicescape’s Easy WiFi enables anytime, anywhere, any network WiFi access.

About Devicescape

Devicescape is the leader in device WiFi. The company has worked with device manufacturers and service providers since its inception and has hundreds of design wins in the best WiFi products. Easy WiFi allows for the creation of superior products which are powerful, yet easy to use and compatible with a global network market. 

Headquartered in San Bruno, California, the company is privately held and backed by leading venture capital companies including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, August Capital, Enterprise Partners, and Jafco. To learn more, please visit www.devicescape.com.