The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has today published results from its 2022 Mobile Consumer Experience Survey.
In early 2022, ComReg commissioned Behaviour & Attitudes Ltd. to carry out a survey on the mobile services experience of Irish consumers. The survey provides insights into the usage, perceptions, and experiences of mobile phone users, especially in relation to mobile phone coverage. The survey covered topics relating to the mobile experience including:
- Mobile phone ownership.
- Mobile phone usage.
- Mobile network coverage issues and satisfaction.
- Network and Handset Switching.
- Handset locking.
The face-to-face survey included almost 3,000 consumers from throughout the country split into five distinct segments based on population density measures from the Central Statistics Office. This survey is part of ComReg’s cyclical research programme with previous iterations conducted in 2017 and 2019. This survey can therefore be compared to previous iterations to track trends across time. The data collected from this survey project will be used to conduct in-depth analysis on the Irish Mobile market.
Overall, the survey results show the importance that Irish consumers place on their mobile phone service. Handset ownership is almost universal across the country and of those with a handset 91% own a smartphone. Currently, circa 40% of smartphones users have an eSIM supporting device, which is driven by the high share of consumers using recent flagship models of Apple and Samsung (combined they make up 77% of the smartphones owned by respondents).
In terms of coverage experience, 75% of respondents are satisfied with mobile coverage at their home. Amongst those citing a loss of signal, the incidence of outages lasting for a longer period of time is reduced, compared with prior years but there are still intermittent outages. 37% of respondents have experienced loss of signal when using call or text functions in the last month, while 32% have experienced loss of signal for data.
The results show an increasingly engaged Irish user who is spending more time online compared to 2019, with accessing social media being the most common online activity. Two out of three Irish consumers are bill pay customers. Considering the current economic climate, it is interesting to note that 70% of customers do not worry about paying their phone bill/buying credit as they can afford it. The average monthly spend for bill pay customers is €37.95, including the cost of their handset. This is a 10% decrease compared to the average from 2019. Pre-pay customers are spending €20.43 on average per month.
ComReg Commissioner, Garrett Blaney said: “The survey results demonstrate the value consumers place on mobile communications in their daily lives. Now more than ever, electronic communications technologies permit people to connect in ways that they have never done before. Consumers’ requirements of their mobile phones are constantly evolving, and the survey shows the changing role of mobile technology as mobile data and devices are increasingly needed for modern uses such as streaming TV apps and Video-on Demand or making video calls over internet-based applications.”
The full results of the survey ComReg 22/83 can be found here: 2022 Mobile Consumer Survey
