AppNeta revealed the results
of
AppNeta's Future of the Internet Outlook
Report, which analyzed
the shifting expectations of the American workforce regarding their internet
service: An increased need for stable connections as remote work rises, the
desire for employers to deliver near-office quality network experiences at
home, and the heightened challenges to complete tasks due to internet issues.
The study of more than 1,000
adults across the United States examined how expectations for internet service
have changed over the past year and a half as a result of remote work,
including expectations around internet delivery and how users access
connectivity in a post-pandemic world.
"As companies look to embrace
work from anywhere or hybrid work models, there should be a greater
acknowledgment of the non-office based challenges employees may be having,"
stated Matt Stevens, CEO, AppNeta. "With many organizations rolling out their
post-pandemic work model in the coming months, our proactive customers are
already hard at work ensuring their networks are ready for a hybrid-based return
to office, and delivering the best possible end-user experience for their
employees regardless of where they work."
Connectivity Catastrophe
Throughout the pandemic,
internet connectivity issues have plagued end users. AppNeta's 2021 State of Work from Anywhere Outlook
Report, released in
March 2021, found internet connectivity to be the number one cause of
frustration for remote employees - and the latest Future of the Internet Outlook Report dug deeper into the issues negatively
impacting the American workforce.
The biggest issue, affecting
almost half (49%) of respondents, was slow load times for websites. Video
calls, often lauded as the answer to building remote culture, were the second
highest pain point for users, with more than one-third of respondents (34%)
experiencing freezing during video calls, causing 37% to go off video during
calls due to poor connectivity.
The Future of the Internet Outlook Report found that 18% of those surveyed were
unable to complete work tasks due to poor internet connectivity and 14%
experienced issues connecting to business applications. 17% dealt with poor or
limited bandwidth, causing 20% to upgrade their internet package.
Future of the Internet
The respondents were also
concerned about much more than their individual connectivity, as 65% said the
internet becoming a public utility would be a positive step toward a
better-connected society. When asked what a better-connected society would look
like, one quarter of respondents wanted to see global internet coverage and 22%
identified free Wi-Fi in public and shared spaces as a priority.
"The need for increased
connectivity outside of the workplace directly relates to drastic changes to
work and life as a result of the pandemic," said Michael Hustler, AppNeta CTO.
"Remote work will persist post-pandemic, and business leaders need to ensure
that they are arming their network operations teams with the necessary
management solutions to ensure a well-connected, available and satisfied remote
workforce well into the future."