High consumer demand for WiFi from businesses

A recent Plusnet Business survey has revealed that the increase in demand for internet access amongst consumers in the UK has led to more and more consumers wanting businesses to provide WiFi.

The Internet has become an integral part of our home and working lives over recent years and a recent Plusnet Business survey has highlighted just how reliant people have become on the Internet over the years. The survey also revealed that this rising reliance on the Internet had led to greater consumer demand for businesses to provide WiFi services.

According to the results of the Plusnet survey the average Brit now spends around ten hours a day being connected to the Internet. The survey showed that nearly a quarter of those polled said that they needed to have access to the internet in order to update people if anything happened and nearly half of those polled said that businesses need to provide WiFi internet access in public areas.

In fact, the success of many businesses can be determined by whether or not they provide WiFi access. For example, more than forty percent of consumers that responded to the survey in North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, London and Wales said that having WiFi access was a determining factor when choosing a hotel to stay at. Over twenty percent of respondents said that they would always choose bars, restaurants, and shopping centres that had WiFi access over those that did not. Eight percent even chose a doctor’s surgery based on having access to WiFi and forty six percent of those in London said that they needed constant access to the Internet so that they could combat the boredom of queuing.

An official from Plusnet said: “Through the Plusnet Business survey we can see that installing something as simple as free Wi-Fi for customers, can help generate repeat custom and definition within a market. With increased competition in the hospitality and retail markets, it’s important for small businesses to understand how investing in customer broadband has the potential to really boost sales. With over one in ten respondents estimating that 21-30% of their profit is down to a fast and reliable Internet connection, there is a clear benefit to getting online.”

Would you choose hotels, eateries, and bars with WiFi over those without?