Consumer expectations will reshape the needs and economics of the internet, and more than 60% of those in EMEA are already expecting to have connected cars, appliances, energy and water.
According to the findings of Cisco’s Broadband Survey:
Consumers Want to Invest in Sustainable Broadband
The carbon-cost of broadband connectivity is a top priority for consumers. Cisco’s surney revealed that 65% of consumers in EMEA are now concerned about the carbon footprint of their broadband, with young people aged 18-24 the most concerned (73%). In addition, 77% said they would be willing to pay more for sustainable broadband, with around a quarter prepared to pay a price premium of more than 20%. This supports a wider market trend, shown in a 2019 survey by Nielsen and a 2022 survey by Globescan, revealing widespread consumer awareness around the environmental impact of the products they use and a demand for companies to step up and mitigate negative impacts on the planet.
Security Is a Priority as More Move Online
In parallel to growing environmental concerns, the emergence of hybrid work and the ever-increasing blur between the professional and personal lives of employees brings new risks into the home. Despite most consumers using their broadband for tasks like banking and work, passwords are still the most popular way (53%) that survey respondents protect home networks and devices; only a quarter have switched on their router’s firewall. This is despite previous Cisco research revealing that 57% of consumers worry about cybercriminals hacking their devices. While speed is still the main priority among those planning to upgrade their broadband in the next year (selected by 40%), security is now a close second, ranked by 38% of consumers as a top priority when choosing their broadband package.
Connection to Increase as Consumers Expand their Digital Lives
As the number of IoT devices online grows from billions to trillions, so does the demand for bandwidth and processing power to analyse all the data produced. According to the Cisco Broadband Survey, there’s no sign of this slowing down. Consumers are instead embracing the shift toward a ‘smarter’ digital life. A majority already have, or expect to have, their cars (67%), lights (74%), appliances (71%), energy (76%) and water (64%) connected. Indeed, more than half of consumers surveyed (54%) indicated feeling positive about new ways to connect their homes and lives to the internet. This is despite a majority (63%) saying that the cost-of-living crisis has changed the way they spend money on digital services: 21% have reported moving to a lower cost broadband package and 16% have cancelled streaming services.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Gordon Thomson, VP service provider – EMEA, Cisco, said: “The carbon footprint of the information and communications technology sector is estimated to account for around 2.1 – 3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and more than half of that comes from networks and data centers. Cisco is on a mission to transform the economics and sustainability of the Internet for the Future. That means designing products with energy efficiency and security in mind, adopting circular economy principles in product development and business operations, and taking a smart and sustainable approach to lifecycle management. In addition to the cybersecurity threat landscape constantly evolving and expanding, we have to deal with the increasing threat of climate change. Prioritizing sustainability and security in broadband infrastructure is therefore crucial to enable lasting and resilient digital transformation.
“The old technology adage of ‘faster, cheaper, better’ has not been relevant for a long time. It’s now about simplifying solutions and building networks that can fuel global connectivity and economic growth, facilitating and protecting the digitalisation and automation of everyday activities, all without losing sight of our impact on the future”.
The Cisco Broadband Survey is based on a survey of 21,629 workers across 12 countries: UK, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, UAE and the Netherlands.
It was completed during January and February 2023 and the sample included respondents based in every region of each country, who either work full-time remotely; full-time in an office; hybrid, between home and the office; or on the frontline
