Youngsters judge mobile operators on basis of performance of apps, video streaming: report

In an observation that also indicates the changing definition of socialising, a study has found that young smartphone users, in order to continue their services with an operator, take into account the amount of time their favourite social media and video streaming apps take to load rather than the extent and reach of network coverage. "As new apps emerge and video usage behaviour evolves, network performance will matter more than ever and will determine how loyal smartphone users will be to their operators," said Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Senior Advisor, Ericsson ConsumerLab, in a statement. Globally, 26 per cent of smartphone users say they face video streaming issues daily, increasing to over one third in markets like India, Brazil and Indonesia. One-third of the South Korean smartphone users say that they watched both live-streamed videos broadcast by others and professional content; in the US, 14 per cent have started to use live-streaming apps.