Shoppers mardy about mobile internet speeds

 

A survey by eBay.co.uk has found almost half of online shoppers are hacked off with slow mobile internet.

People in the UK are getting plenty peed off with the poor mobile internet speed they are getting, eBay.co.uk has said.

New research commissioned by the online marketplace found that almost half of the 2,000 consumers questioned are unhappy with how long it takes to download data via their mobile phone.

eBay believes this is preventing people from spending money online as the lack of speed makes performing everyday functions like browsing and shopping on their phones difficult.

Miriam Lahage, vice president of global fashion at eBay, said: “At eBay in the UK we now see around 10% of sales by value transacted on mobile devices, but we need the right infrastructure in the UK to match this demand.”

For that reason, eBay has formed a policy on what needs to be done by the authorities and the digital communications industry to help the UK’s mobile-powered economy grow.

eBay’s Mobile Manifesto identifies seven critical areas that should be focused on in order to help boost the UK’s economy through supporting mobile and has been given to the government.

With the auction for 4G spectrum - the frequencies through which next-generation mobile services will be transmitted - being delayed, eBay wants next-generation fixed-line broadband roll-outs to begin in 2013.

Improvements to mobile internet coverage should centre on transport routes like railways and roads, eBay added, as its research, conducted by retail experts Verdict, found that over a third of us shop on our mobiles while travelling.

eBay has also called for mobile networks to look at reducing data roaming charges to promote mobile shopping abroad, as almost two-thirds of those surveyed said they are put off using the internet overseas due to the cost of downloading data.

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