Mobile operators are held in higher digital regard by consumers than Spotify, eBay and Uber, according to a study conducted by Sapio Research. The study found that only Google, Amazon, Netflix and Apple are respected more for their digital leadership.
Commissioned by Openet, the study which surveyed 1,620 consumers across the UK, Colombia, Canada, Indonesia and Singapore, found that more than two thirds (70%) of consumers believe their mobile operator to be ‘digital first’. Nearly three quarters (73%) of consumers said they would be receptive to greater digital service choice from their mobile operator, while acknowledging the significance of digital service innovation when selecting or choosing to stay with their operator.
Additional, significant findings from the study include:
Telcos: no longer digital also-rans
Mobile operators have surprisingly high levels of digital engagement and interaction with their customers – 32% of global consumers digitally interact with their operators daily. The telecommunications sector was ranked 4th in terms of overall industry digital leadership (beaten only by technology, financial services and retail sectors)
Global consumers want more
While more than half (52%) consider their operators to provide a utility, almost a third (31%) view them as digital facilitators capable of effectively engaging with them to change this mindset.73% consumers want more digital services from their operators, 69% want more digital innovation.
This suggests a strong willingness, amongst consumers, for operators to succeed in winning more digital market share. Interestingly, consumers rate an operator’s speed of operation as the most valuable trait of a ‘digital first’ organisation, demonstrating the importance of fast time to market when deploying new services and offers.
Exciting times ahead for the digital telco
65% of global consumers would feel more engaged with their mobile operator if it offered more digital services, 79% would feel more loyal (as high as 85% in the 18-24 demographic).
Niall Norton, CEO, Openet
Most operators launched strategic digital transformation projects to not only revolutionise how they create, offer and monetise new digital services, but also re-architect their networks.
