Wi-fi is more important than cars to Kiwis
New Zealanders rate access to wi-fi as the third most important thing in their daily lives, after their families and having a bath or shower, research conducted for Vodafone suggests.
Colmar Brunton conducted a consumer insights survey last month for the telco, designed to provide insights into how families monitor children’s use of internet-connected devices and parental control approaches, as well as looking at wi-fi usage in general.
Having access to the internet/wi-fi was seen by the majority of respondents as more important than their car, washing machine or even smartphone when it came to day-to-day living.
‘‘Accessing the internet and online tools is a massive part of day-to-day life for the vast majority of Kiwis, and is often the way we work, play, watch, or learn these days,’’ said Carolyn Luey, Vodafone’s chief consumer officer.
‘‘One in seven people ranked it an eight or higher on a scale of one to 10 for importance in their daily life, with more people ranking wi-fi higher than items such as their car, a cup of tea or coffee, TV or chocolate.’’
Vodafone recently launched SuperWifi, a system of mesh wi-fi devices designed to eliminate ‘‘dead zones’’ in a house’s wi-fi coverage. It also gives the ability for parents to turn off internet access from their kids’ devices when required or limit the content they can access, or prioritise access from certain devices.
The survey also found most New Zealanders thought 10 to 14 was an appropriate age for children to start owning a smartphone.
More than a quarter said a tablet was acceptable for children under 10.
‘‘As access to the internet becomes more essential for schooling, and online entertainment options increase, many Kiwi young teens, pre-teens and even younger kids have their own devices. Many parents choose to give their children a phone as a way of keeping in contact when away from the home as they age, while tablets are more acceptable among the under-10s,’’ Luey said.
‘‘Currently the average Kiwi home has approximately nine internet-connected devices, which may sound like lot but it is still significantly lower than the 18 average connected devices found in American households.
‘‘The rise of IoT [Internet of Things] and cloud-based functionality is increasing the demand for connectivity in the home. Not only is it computers, phones and tablets that now connect to the internet but TVs, heat pumps, security cameras, speakers, light bulbs, and even fridges can now come with a wide range of online features.’’
More than 90 per cent of respondents said it was important to manage the use of children’s internet-connected devices.
Only 40 per cent of those who had children in their households felt they had full control. Another 14 per cent said they did not feel they had much or any control.