Roughly One-Third of Consumers in US and UK Are Considering Switching Internet Service Providers, According to New Airties Survey
– 28% of US and 37% of UK households are considering switching ISPs in the near future, citing quality issues as a decisive factor
– Very dissatisfied consumers are far more likely to churn: 82% of US and 92% of UK respondents who are currently very dissatisfied with their Internet are considering switching ISPs in the near future; Consumers with better connectivity are 3-4 times less likely to churn
– Among those who already switched providers in the past 12 months, 47% of total US respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (36%) and poor customer support (11%), while 38% cited better pricing/contract options
– Among those who already switched providers in the past 12 months, 49% of total UK respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (41%) and poor customer support issues (8%) as the primary reasons for switching, while 35% cited better pricing/contract options
– Among those who already switched providers in the past 12 months, 69% of US respondents and 74% of UK respondents said they actually pay the same or more than they did with their previous ISP
Paris, France – October 9, 2025 – In advance of the 2025 Network X conference, Airties, a global leader of AI-driven software that improves the connectivity experience for ISPs’ subscribers, today announced findings from a newly commissioned consumer survey, independently conducted by Qualtrics, of more than 2,000 households* across the US and UK. The survey revealed a looming churn crisis for ISPs: approximately one-third of households are considering switching providers in the near future, with quality of service being a decisive factor.
“This survey research underscores a clear message for ISPs: service quality continues to drive churn,” said Metin Taskin, CEO and founder of Airties. “Nearly one-third of households in the US and UK are actively considering switching providers due to poor quality of experience. It’s a multi-billion-dollar problem for broadband service providers globally. With such high churn rates, ISPs are forced to spend incredible time and money chasing new customers every year—just to break even for the customers they lost. Any incremental improvement in churn can unlock growth and massively improve the bottom line. This survey is further evidence of the imperative for ISPs to focus on customer retention by improving quality. Consumers want fast, consistent, and quality home Wi-Fi connectivity—and the data also shows they are willing to pay more for it.”
Looming Risk for ISPs
- Looking ahead, 37% of UK respondents and 28% of US respondents said they are considering switching ISPs in the near future.
- Among those considering a switch, 31% of UK respondents and 42% of US respondents cite poor Internet quality as the primary reason.
- The most frustrating quality issues cited that would make respondents want to switch providers include slow Internet browsing (55% UK; 50% US), video freezing (52% UK; 55% US), and devices disconnecting (49% UK; 58% US).
Recent Churn & Correlation Between Dissatisfaction and Future Churn
- 24% of UK consumers and 18% of US consumers said they have switched ISPs in the past 12 months.
- Many dissatisfied consumers endured problems for 3 or more months, including waiting until the end of their contract terms, before leaving their ISP (43% UK; 61% US).
- Nearly all contacted their ISP to complain before leaving (88% UK; 85% US).
- Very dissatisfied consumers are far more likely to churn: 92% of UK and 82% of US respondents who are currently very dissatisfied with their Internet are considering switching ISPs in the near future; Consumers with better connectivity are 3-4 times less likely to churn.
Wi-Fi Quality & Customer Support > Price
- 79% of UK respondents and 74% in the US said they currently experience noticeable Wi-Fi problems or interruptions.
- For those who already switched providers in the UK over the past 12 months, 49% of total respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (41%) and poor customer support issues (8%) as the primary reasons for switching, while 35% cited better pricing/contract options.
- Among a list of problematic experiences cited for those who switched in the UK, the primary issues were poor Internet quality (39%), unreliable connectivity (28%), and difficulty fixing Internet problems when they occurred (27%).
- Among a list of specific Internet quality issues cited for those who switched in the UK, the most problematic issues were slow browsing (52%) and video freezing (49%).
- For those who already switched providers in the US over the past 12 months, 47% of total respondents cited a combination of poor quality of experience issues (36%) and poor customer support (11%), while 38% cited better pricing/contract options.
- Among a list of problematic experience issues cited for those who switched in the US, the primary issues were poor Internet quality (44%), unreliable connectivity (27%), and difficulty fixing Internet problems when they occurred (28%).
- Among a list of specific Internet quality issues cited for those who switched in the US, the most problematic issues were slow browsing (36% US) and video freezing (50% US).
Consumers Will Pay More for Reliable, High-Quality Wi-Fi
- Consumers who switched ISPs in the past 12 months said they actually pay the same or more than they did with their previous ISP (74% UK; 69% US).
- Consumers prioritize quality over savings: 74% in the UK and 58% in the US would not switch ISPs for a lower price if it meant worse Wi-Fi.
Exceptional Connectivity is Essential
- Streaming dominates daily use across both sides of the pond, with UK households prioritizing video streaming and Wi-Fi calling (e.g., WhatsApp, FaceTime, etc.) as the top priorities; and US households prioritizing video streaming and online gaming as the top priorities.
- Consumers want smarter network management: 75% of UK and 56% of US respondents said the ability to control or prioritize their bandwidth based on applications (e.g. giving Zoom higher priority over YouTube) would be valuable.
- 82% of UK and 55% of US respondents said they are interested in a Wi-Fi system that automatically predicts and prioritizes Internet usage based on household needs.
Airties empowers broadband service providers to deliver smooth, smart connectivity for all. Across the globe, ISPs rely upon Airties’ software for the ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience to help reduce churn, attract new customers, lower operating and support costs, and innovate in new ways. Airties’ AI-driven insights, across devices and applications, helps ISPs improve performance quality, market effectively, and deliver a premium managed broadband experience to consumers. Airties Home directs consumers’ devices (laptops, tablets, phones, game consoles, IoT, smart home devices, etc.) to the best available Wi-Fi access point and frequency band based on real-time network conditions; manages Mesh networking; and optimizes QoS. It also helps ISPs observe, diagnose, and fix in-home connectivity issues automatically or through actionable recommendations; delivers insights and optimizations for connected devices and applications; and provides intuitive dashboards and APIs to support operators’ CRM systems and customer facing support apps to manage their home networks, set parent controls, prioritizations, guest access, and more.
Airties has received many prestigious industry awards for its innovations, including: “Best Home Wi-Fi Solution Award” from Broadband World Forum; “Best Wi-Fi Service Provider Solution” and “Best Home Wi-Fi Product” awards from Wi-Fi NOW; “Best Wi-Fi Innovation” and “Best-In Home Wi-Fi Network” awards from Wireless Broadband Alliance; “Best Broadband Customer Experience” from Cable & Satellite International; and numerous others.
Airties will exhibit at the upcoming Network X conference, October 14-16 in Paris, in stand C18. In addition, Airties’ CEO and founder, Metin Taskin, will speak on the “Wi-Fi Network and Services” stage on October 15 at 10:05 a.m. about: “Keeping Customers Connected: How Wi-Fi Quality is Shaping Churn,” and join executive panels on October 16 at 10:10 a.m. about “In-Home and MDU Wi-Fi” markets, and 10:30 a.m. about “Intelligent Home Networks”. Sarper Gokturk, VP of Innovation at Airties, will also speak on an executive panel on “Next Gen Wi-Fi” on October 15 at 3:00 p.m.
Additional details from Airties’ US and UK consumer survey results are available in a whitepaper at www.airties.com.
* Survey of 2,130 respondents who are connected to Wi-Fi across the UK (1,038) and US (1,092), commissioned by Airties in Q3 2025, and conducted by Qualtrics.
