A third of Finns believe the importance of Internet access has increased in the last year, brought about by the coronavirus lockdowns.
A survey commissioned by the telco Telia found more than half of Finns had either purchased or were considering 5G connectivity. Changes in TV viewing habits had also increased the demand for faster internet.
As many as 53% of respondents bought at least one new paid streaming service during the year.
“The lockdown has changed the importance of internet connectivity. People wanted to upgrade their home connections with better connections due to changes in teleworking, school and TV viewing habits, but the survey shows that internet connections for leisure are here to stay. The growth in the use of streaming services and also, for example, 4K broadcasting have placed new demands on connections,” says Keijo Kantojärvi, senior analyst at Telia.
2.4 million Finns are currently covered by Telia’s domestic network. Kantojärvi says capacity is sufficient for both remote working and entertainment.
Two in three respondents said they watch paid streaming services, and as many as 53% bought at least one new paid streaming service during the year. Netflix held the number one spot. Among domestic streaming services, C More was the most popular with domestic productions increasingly popular.
“For Telia, the interest in domestic drama is clearly reflected in the growing number of subscribers to C More, which invests in it. In addition to the strong sports programming, a record number of domestic original series or their new seasons, as many as 12, will be released on our service this year. Content is also increasingly being purchased online. The number of customers who have bought a Telia subscription and the C More service together has tripled in a year,” says Olli-Pekka Takanen, Telia’s Head of TV Business.
Finns have embraced the concept of multi-tasking in their TV viewing habits; only one fifth said they concentrate on watching TV alone. Instead, Finns revealed that they surf on their mobile phones, eat and surf the net at the same time as watching TV. 10% said they were working or exercising.
