High-speed data rates appeal more to consumers than HDTV

What do leaders from cable TV, satellite TV, broadcast, telephone, government, academia and technology equipment industries think is more attractive to consumers, HDTV or high-speed Internet data rates?

By a significant margin — 40 percent versus about 25 percent — high-speed Internet data rates are viewed by executives, engineers and consultants from these industries as the top draw for consumers.

According to the results of a new survey from Pike & Fischer Broadband Advisory Services, high-speed data rates won out over several advanced communications services. In the spring, the Silver Spring, MD-based market research company asked survey participants to rank a variety of advanced services on a scale of one to five, with five being the most attractive to consumers. High-speed data rates stood far above the other advanced services.

“This suggests to us that, while multichannel video providers may be spending a lot of their ad dollars promoting their HD channels and their ‘triple-play’ bundles, they still rely on their broadband speeds to seal the deal with customers,” said Scott Sleek, director of Pike & Fischer’s Broadband Advisory Services.

The results were released last week at Pike & Fischer’s Broadband Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. The findings are based on more than 280 responses received.

For more information, visit www.broadbandpolicysummit.com.