Broadband changing habits

A survey of broadband account holders sheds some light on New Zealanders' developing internet habits, including that nearly half of users do not understand what ultrafast broadband is, that people feel guilty about the amount of time they spend online and that the internet is beginning to rival television for children.

The results of the New Zealand survey by Australian online customer satisfaction research outfit Canstar, show Otago users' broadband habits are changing, too.

More than half (54%) of the Otago broadband users surveyed said they were using more data than they did a year ago.

Increasing internet use was also starting to impact on relationships, with 8% of Otago respondents saying their internet use was impacting negatively on their relationships, while 30% said they felt guilty about how much time they spent online.

Children were also spending more time on the internet, with 40% of parents with children living at home saying their children now spent more time online than they did watching television, and 77% saying the internet was a necessity for their children's homework.

The majority of Otago respondents (61%) also said they felt they paid too much for their broadband package, while 45% said they did not know how ultrafast broadband (UFB) would differ from their current service, despite the Government introducing UFB across the country.

Of the 1824 people surveyed across New Zealand as part of a regular Canstar survey, most seemed to manage their time online, with only 10% saying their internet use impacted on their relationships, while just over a quarter of all respondents said they felt guilty about the amount of time they spent online.

Nearly 60% of respondents said they spent more time online than they did a year ago.

Orcon took top honours for customer satisfaction rated on several categories including value for money, speed, reliability and billing), beating Slingshot, Vodafone New Zealand, Telstra Clear and Telecom.