Internet Speeds, Caps Not Well Understood

Canadians do more things on the Internet more often, from playing games and streaming movies to making social media updates and downloading music. Yet even as digital devices like tablets have made Internet access more portable, increased use hasn’t had a corresponding impact in terms of consumer literacy.

According to SRG’s Digital Life Canada quarterly, most Canadians (66%) have no idea if they have a usage cap for their home Internet and, even if they do know, what the cap may be. That figure is virtually unchanged from 68% a year earlier, despite all the buzz and public outcry about usage-based billing a year ago.

A majority of Canadians ( 56%) also don’t know the download speed of their home Internet connection. And, 64% of them also have no idea how many gigabytes they consume through their home Internet connection each month. That figure is down slightly from 67% a year ago, which illustrates lack of knowledge that continues to be prevalent in the marketplace.

The bottom line? ISPs who advertise their data and speed specs in their ads to gain customers have to be more creative to make sure the message hits the mark. [Image Credit: DeclanTM]