According to the Cisco Broadband Survey, digital and connected life is attractive, but the majority of consumers are willing to pay more to have it also sustainable.
For the 67% of Italian consumers, the CO2 footprint released by their connection is a very important factor. This percentage even rises to 79.8% in young people between 18 and 24 years of age. 74% of those interviewed would be willing to pay more for a sustainable broadband connection service. While 13% would even accept a cost difference of more than 20%, against a European average of 22%.
For a digital life
These are the first data to emerge from the “Cisco Broadband Survey”. Research conducted in 12 EMEA countries, of which 9 are European, underlines the new needs related to the network according to the different expectations of users. Today, for example, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of digital technology alongside the traditional request for speed and reliability.
The demands change
The need also arises to balance all this with greater security of the cloud infrastructure, which “supports” our digital lives, and with the “consumerization” of technologies such as the Internet of Things now present in daily life. All this currently leads 82% of Italians (even more than the European average, which is 77%) to consider broadband as a critical infrastructure for the country. It is therefore of vital importance for the ICT sector to quickly create the sustainable and secure Internet of the future.
Security is a priority for everything we have and do online
The ever-increasing diffusion of hybrid work and the use of the home network for professional and not just personal reasons has generated new risks. Most users use a home connection to access banking services or to enter their work systems. But even today, half of Italians and half of Europeans only use a password to protect their home network and everything connected to it. Only 19% of Italians (even less than the European average which is 24%) have activated the firewall on their router.
I aim for an increasingly digital and more sustainable life
This little inclination to a advanced protection it contrasts sharply with the attention to security declared by those who intend to switch to a more performing broadband service within the next year. In Europe, the request for greater safety exceeds the request for greater speed by one point (37% vs 36%). In Italy, on the other hand, the desire for a faster network embraces 38% of those interviewed, while the need for a more secure network stops at 35%.
Increasingly rich digital lives: connections are increasing
The number of “things” connected to the Internet is going from the order of billions to the order of trillions. This increases the bandwidth demand and calculation capacity to analyze all the data produced. According to the Cisco Broadband Survey, consumers are moving towards an increasingly rich and “smart” digital life. 52% of Italians have already connected their home entertainment systems to the web, in line with the rest of European consumers; followed by devices related to health and well-being, home lighting. Then the heating or air conditioning systems, household appliances, tools for regulating energy consumption and more.
What will the next 5 years be like?
Looking to the next five years, it is expected to reach 57.8% of household appliances, 61.5% of energy management tools. In addition to 59.8% of lighting and almost 40% of water users. This means that the network will have to respond to ever more needs elevate. Also taking into account the increase in the cost of living. In this regard, 66% of Italians stated that the increase in the cost of living has generally affected their spending on digital services.
20% of those questioned remarked that they had recently switched to a cheaper broadband offer. 12% have canceled streaming services they previously used. In Europe the weight of the price crisis is equally felt, but in a slightly different way. Rather than switching to cheaper offers (18%) it was decided to cut back on streaming services (15%).
An increasingly digital life taking into account the health of the planet
Gordon Thomson, Vice President Service Provider – EMEA, Cisco
The carbon footprint of the ICT sector is estimated to account for approximately 2.1 – 3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. More than half come from networks and data centers. Cisco is committed to transforming the economics and sustainability of the Internet for the future. This means to design products taking into account energy efficiency and safety, adopt the principles of the circular economy in product development and business operations.Finally adopt an intelligent and sustainable approach to life cycle management. In addition to the ever-changing and expanding cybersecurity threat landscape, we are faced with the growing threat of climate change. Prioritizing the sustainability and security of the broadband infrastructure is therefore crucial to enable a lasting and resilient digital transformation.
The old tech adage ‘faster, cheaper, better’ is long gone. Now it’s about simplifying solutions and building networks that can fuel global connectivity and economic growth. By facilitating and securing the digitization and automation of daily activities, all without losing sight of our impact on the future.