Press Release | 12 May 2022

Vodafone reveals transformation of home WiFi usage in Europe

Almost two-thirds of householders consider WiFi as important as electricity and gas.

  • Domestic WiFi usage increases as households look to stay connected, safe and on top of it all.
  • 68% increase in working from home as post-pandemic work/lifestyle patterns remain in place.
  • Almost two-thirds of householders consider WiFi as important as electricity and gas.
  • Half expect wireless connectivity to reach every corner of the house.

New research by Vodafone has revealed that European households have rapidly shifted to permanent ‘digital-first’ lifestyles in the wake of the global pandemic – with high-quality, reliable and secure WiFi now considered critical for wireless work, entertainment and social connectivity in the home.

Households in Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK were surveyed by Kantar for Vodafone in February 2022*. With European homes possessing up to nine WiFi-enabled devices, three-quarters of householders agreed that the provision of reliable WiFi was their number one requirement. Four-in-five households where someone works from home regarded WiFi to be as important as electricity and gas, with the same number of home workers saying they couldn’t work at all without WiFi.

With an increase of more than 68% in home working, as post-pandemic work/lifestyle patterns remain in place, Vodafone found that European households were balancing the competing demands for professional, personal and entertainment wireless connectivity.

  • WiFi coverage is now expected to be everywhere in the home – with two-thirds of households saying that they valued the ability to connect over WiFi anywhere in their property and not just in living areas near their WiFi router. 50% of European households expected WiFi to be available in every room of their house.
  • Domestic WiFi consumption continues to rise – 80% of households said they needed WiFi more at home. The use of it to make video calls has also increased by 79% over the last couple of years. At the same time, nine-out-of-10 households have attempted to tackle wireless connectivity challenges themselves without contacting their router provider’s helpdesk.
  • Secured WiFi is a secured home – almost three-quarters of households said that wireless security is as important to them as locking the front door.

Alexa tips for Pro Broadband Super WiFi Plus booster

The Alexa voice assistant built into Vodafone’s top-of-the-range WiFi range booster – an optional extra on Pro Broadband – is more versatile than you know, as our tips reveal.

Commenting on the research, Daniel Lambrou, Head of Broadband, Vodafone UK, said: “The last two years have seen a dramatic shift in home connectivity demands, as ‘digital’ lifestyles combined with growth of home working, streaming entertainment and smart devices in every room of the house.

“Vodafone’s Pro Broadband delivers reliable WiFi in every room, guaranteed with remote optimisation via the cloud for the best connection, and a dedicated team of WiFi Xperts. Plus parental controls with Norton 360 Premium included free for 12 months for every Pro Broadband customer.

“Pro Broadband also provides an unbreakable connection with its 4G Broadband Backup from the UK’s unbeatable mobile network for reliability – ensuring customers have a reliable and secure wireless connection at home, at an affordable price.”

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Notes to editors:

*Interviews of 4,000 people were conducted for Vodafone by Kantar between 10 and 14 February 2022.

** Norton 360 Premium: All-in-one protection for up to 10 devices. Offer subject to availability. Payment method & activation of an annual subscription required. Check terms & availability. Not all features are available on all devices/operating systems.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

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