Pure Telecom survey reveals broadband is the new battery and half of us couldn’t survive Christmas without internet

New research from Irish telecoms provider Pure Telecom has found that broadband has become the new battery, with half of people claiming they couldn’t survive without it this Christmas. The study of 1,000 people by iReach in December 2015 found that just 10% of people say they couldn’t survive without batteries, while 40% said they could get by without either.

Some 86% of people said they will purchase at least one present online, while the average person expects to buy six presents online. In total, Irish shoppers will spend €852 million online this festive season, averaging €247 per person.

Reflecting the number of Irish people who will be spending the festive season away from home this year, some 54% of people say they will be contacting loved ones in other parts of the world on Christmas Day. In total, 76% of people contacting their loved ones abroad will use at least one internet-reliant platform, such as Skype, email or instant messaging. Meanwhile, 62% said they will pick up the phone.

Internet-connected devices will be included in almost half of households’ Christmas gifts, too. Pure Telecom found that almost half (48%) of people expect that there will be at least one internet-connected device under their tree this Christmas. One third expect their households to be unwrapping one or two internet-connected devices on the 25th, while a sizeable 15% expect that figure will reach three or more. Almost one third (32%) of parents said they will be give at least one of their children an internet-connected device for Christmas.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the movies. More than one in five (21%) will rely on the internet to watch their festive flicks, with 14% saying they will use a streaming service such as Netflix, while 7% will download their movies from the likes of Apple or Amazon.

The survey also found that women are more likely to say they couldn’t survive Christmas without broadband, with 52% claiming Christmas would be a disaster without it, compared to 48% of men.

Commenting on the survey results, Paul Connell, director of Pure Telecom, said: “Gone are the days when people thought Christmas Day would be a disaster without batteries. Now, it’s broadband that households are finding is essential to their Christmas plans. From the gifts they will give and receive, to watching their favourite movies, high-speed broadband is crucial to many of the major aspects of Christmas.
 
“With fast, reliable broadband connection, kids and grown-ups can test out their Christmas presents straight away, talk to their loved ones half the world away and be guaranteed uninterrupted movie time. Pure Telecom offers affordable high-speed phone and broadband packages that will make sure everyone’s Christmas runs smoothly – at least where the internet is concerned.”