WIRELESS WOE WINNERS
New report says top issues are slow download speeds and web connection errors
Ontario smartphone and Internet users have the highest number of problems in the country, report finds,
Wireless customers in Ontario experience slightly more problems with their network than the rest of the country, says a J.D. Power report.
Overall, Canadian wireless users experience the highest number of network quality problems with data, followed by calls and messaging, with the most data issues reported as slow downloads and web connection errors, says the study released Thursday.
The annual study examines wireless carriers’ network performance in three areas: calling, messaging and data. It measured network performance issues as problems per 100 (PP100) connections, with a lower score reflecting fewer problems, and therefore higher network performance.
It turns out customers in the eastern provinces report an average of eight problems per 100, followed by those in the west, who reported nine PP100.
Ontario wireless users reported the most problems with an average of 10 per cent, or 10 problems per 100 connections, says the study.
“The small increase is probably driven by the volume of people using wireless here, and the strain on the capacity of the network as compared to, say, Saskatchewan,” said Adrian Chung, account director at J.D. Power.
The study also shows that among the wireless customers who have a 4G-compatible smartphone, 13 per cent of those who own an LG device indicate their data speeds are faster than expected, compared with only11 per cent of BlackBerry owners, 9 per cent of Samsung owners and 8 per cent of Apple iPhone owners.
Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility tied for highest rank in Ontario among customers, with Rogers a close second — tied with the provincial average — and Wind Mobile ranking a distant fourth, said the survey.
Customers who reported they “definitely will not” switch carriers expe- rienced an average of five problems per 100 network quality issues, compared with 17 among those who say they “definitely will” switch service providers.
“Whether updating social media, browsing the Internet, checking email or using the Starbucks app to buy coffee, wireless customers hold their carrier accountable to deliver a stable connection at a speed that will enable them to accomplish their desired task,” said Chung.
“With the high penetration of smartphones, the focal point for measuring wireless network quality is data,” he said.
Wireless customers have high expectations when it comes to calling, texting or web browsing, and any impediments — however infrequent — to connectivity directly impact their perceptions of network performance, Chung added.
The 2015 Canadian Wireless Network Quality Study was based on responses from more than 13,000 wireless customers who had used their phone within the previous 48 hours.
The study was conducted in both October-November 2014 and March 2015.
Overall network performance was based on 10 problem areas that affect the customer experience: dropped calls; calls not connected; audio is- sues; late or failed voicemails; lost calls; text message transmission failures; late or failed text message notifications; web connection errors; slow downloads and email connection errors.