Washington, DC – Fiber-to-the-home customers are paying less for better service than cable and DSL subscribers, and they have an easier time selling their homes — no wonder they’re happier with their providers.
FTTH users are more likely to give high ratings to their television and Internet services than cable or DSL customers, according to survey results released by the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council and conducted by consulting and marketing firm RVA LLC. Two-thirds of FTTH users gave the highest rating – “very satisfied†– to their Internet connection speeds, compared to 58 percent of cable modem users and 46 percent of DSL users. Nearly three-quarters of video subscribers over FTTH were “very satisfied†with the quality of the HD picture they received, compared with about half of cable TV and satellite TV subscribers. FTTH users also reported higher satisfaction rates with regard to their service reliability, particularly its “uptime.â€
The survey also found that the level of customer satisfaction with the installation process was about the same for all broadband services, and that FTTH users on average report a six percent drop in their monthly bills from their previous service provider.
Direct fiber services were found to be, on average, much faster than those relying on copper in the last mile, according to survey respondents, who were asked to test their Internet connection speeds at www.speakeasy.net and report the results. FTTH users reported an average download speed of 10.4 megabits per second, 51 percent faster than the average reported by cable modem users and 593% higher than what was reported by DSL users.
When current and non-FTTH users were also asked how important having a fiber connection would be if they were looking to purchase a home, they rated FTTH tops among five home amenities that also included green space and walking trails, 24 hour neighborhood security patrol, a community pool, and a fitness center or club house. Eight-two percent of current FTTH users said that “very high speed Internet†would be and important factor in buying a new home.
