84% mobile users in APAC actively use wi-fi for better QoS: Amdocs Study

SINGAPORE: About 84% of mobile users in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, covering India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, actively use wi-fi network, with 48% using that to get better quality, according to a study commissioned by Nasdaq-listed Amdocs, a company that provides software and solutions to telcos.

In India, wi-fi is gaining momentum with the Government of India planning to roll out wi-fi in 2,500 cities across the country. Even, state-run telco BSNL believes that wi-fi could play a bigger role in driving its revenues.

Recently, wi-fi has been rolled out in many tourist places in India, including Taj Mahal.

The study, which was conducted in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia for the APAC region, highlighted ways for telecom service providers to improve the quality of experience for customers.

The study findings released at the Amdocs Business Forum in Singapore, mentioned data coverage and data speed as the primary loyalty drivers of mobile users.

Mobile users are also interested in personalized services with 83% users in the region preferring tailored offers that reflect usage patterns, 85% would like rewards based on usage history and 88% would like the ability to self-manage their plans, and 91% would like to be notified in real time if the service provider is working on an issue related to their use.

Fifty-six percent of users would be willing to pay more to have access to better data coverage and 56% would enjoy faster downloads.

In addition, 38% of respondents said they would pay for data speed boosters and 22% would pay more to receive tailored service and plan offerings. Consumers are also willing to pay more for access to real time usage and online customer service.

“This research highlights the strategic value that consumers place on their network quality of experience, right from faster data download speeds and broader coverage to a personalized digital experience and seamless wi-fi access,” said Ann Hatchell, Head of Network Marketing at Amdocs.

“Through the combination of BSS/OSS solutions, together with RAN optimization solutions, big data analytics, policy control and real-time charging solutions, Amdocs enables service providers to connect the dots between customer and network intelligence to deliver and monetize a high quality personalized customer experience,” Hatchell added.