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."