Ericsson and Vodafone have undertaken research in Germany on delays in broadband and have found, using Electroencephalography (EEG) equipment to measure brain activity, that even small delays and disturbances raise the level of tension and stress, and have a negative impact on subscriber loyalty and operator brand. The 150 subscribers taking part in the study were required to complete 13 specific tasks in 10 minutes using a smartphone, while a degradation in the quality-of-service was simulated. The tasks included common actions such as browsing web pages, streaming videos, and uploading selfies. In addition to the EEG equipment, eye-tracking gear and pulse meters were used to monitor the attention span and heart rate of the subscribers.
Guido Weißbrich, Director Network Performance, Vodafone Germany, says: “The study proves how quickly smartphone users become unsatisfied when a broadband network is not performing at its best. A mere one-second delay when downloading or uploading content has a significant negative impact on the user experience, so streaming services must do everything to avoid lengthy buffering or freezing of content.”
