Key Points:
- Americans are spending more than half their daily online time watching video, according to a consumer survey released by Optimum.
- Smart TVs are the most popular devices for watching online video, though one in five adults still prefer phones or computers.
- Most consumers say affordability and reliability are the top expectations of their Internet service provider, though older Americans are less likely to know what they’re paying for in terms of Internet speed.
American adults are spending more than 10 hours on the Internet every day, and most of their online activity involves video in some form, according to a new survey released this week.
The survey, conducted by a third party on behalf of Altice U.S.-owned telecom service provider Optimum, found nearly half of all time spent online involved streaming video, including television.
Smart TVs and similar platforms are the devices preferred to watch video and streaming TV content, the Optimum survey found, with 55 percent of Americans using a TV in some capacity to watch online video. One out of five Americans prefer using their phones over their TVs to watch online video, while the same 20 percent of American adults used a desktop or laptop computer as their primary video consumption device.
Video aside, nearly 80 percent of Americans said they used the Internet to do general browsing each day, while more than three-quarters of Americans said they use the web to pay bills. Seventy-two percent said they shop online daily, while one in five said they use the Internet to complete schoolwork.
“This new survey was eye-opening for the Optimum team. We were amazed to see how many hours folks are watching, shopping and browsing online on a daily basis,” Eric Bruno, the Senior Vice President of Product Management at Optimum, said in a statement. “It underscores how important strong, affordable, and reliable internet has become in today’s world. I stress to my team that delivering the best products, service and exceptional customer experience is not just our goal – it’s our responsibility, as people are relying on Optimum to fulfill their connectivity needs for almost half the day, every day.”
When it comes to Internet speed, the Optimum survey found Americans who are 55 years of age or older are less likely to know what download and upload speeds they receive at home compared to younger adults between the ages of 18 and 39 years old.
Speed is only one factor when it comes to a person’s satisfaction with their Internet service: Optimum said most Americans surveyed said affordability, value and reliability were major expectations among online users surveyed.
“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and this survey underscores the need for us to keep pushing ourselves to deliver an even better, more reliable connectivity experience for them,” Bruno said. “At Optimum, we are not taking our foot off the gas.”
Bruno said Optimum’s teams are “continuously evolving our products and services to set a new standard of excellence for our customers” across offered products and services, including home and business Internet, 5G mobile wireless services and cable TV.
“At Optimum, we strive to deliver a seamless and reliable experience every time, connecting our customers to the things that matter most to them,” he said.
Optimum serves more than 4.6 million broadband and cable TV customers across 21 states. In addition to its telecom offerings, Optimum operates News 12 Networks, a set of regional news channels that serve the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
