Wi-Fi Alliance releases new polling data during Beijing trip

BEIJING, China - September 4, 2009 - The Wi-Fi Alliance, the worldwide certification body for Wi-Fi technology, today announced new polling data from a survey conducted by CCIDNET.com and Data 100 Market Research.

The poll surveyed 1,250 Chinese broadband users ages 18 and older regarding their use of and impressions about Wi-Fi technology.The findings are summarized below.

Young professionals (26-30 years) are the most frequent users of Wi-Fi

  • Of 1,250 broadband users surveyed, nearly 40 percent have used Wi-Fi
  • More than 60 percent of Wi-Fi users use the technology one or more times each week, with users in the 26-30 age group having the most frequent usage
  • Consulting/service and IT are the most highly-represented professions among Wi-Fi users

Wi-Fi is everywhere: many devices, numerous locations, a variety of applications:

  • Computers are the device most frequently used to connect with Wi-Fi (83 percent of users), but respondents also report connecting on phones (34 percent), gaming devices (14 percent) and media players (14 percent)
  • Respondents report that they use Wi-Fi technology at home (71 percent), work (49 percent), coffee shops (22 percent) and schools (21 percent)
  • People in China use Wi-Fi for a variety of work and leisure activities: 69 percent read the news, 62 percent do work-related tasks, 53 percent check email, and 48 percent chat online

Mobile phones are likely to be a new popular Wi-Fi device in China

  • Twenty-three percent of respondents said the next phone they purchase will be Wi-Fi enabled, while an additional 37 percent of the survey respondents said they are considering purchasing a Wi-Fi enabled phone

Wi-Fi combines connectivity, convenience, and entertainment; users trust Wi-Fi security

  • Users cite Wi-Fi's convenience (77 percent), mobility (65 percent) and speed (47 percent) as its most favored attributes
  • Sixty-two percent of respondents stated that they have come to rely on Wi-Fi to stay connected
  • Fifty-two percent of Wi-Fi users surveyed reported that being connected to a universe of entertainment is the most exciting aspect of the technology
  • Eighty-two percent of the survey respondents stated they feel "confident" or "very confident" in Wi-Fi security protections

Highlights from Wi-Fi Alliance online polling (PDF)

Executives from the Wi-Fi Alliance will provide a briefing on the polling data, the Wi-Fi industry, and important new innovations in the technology on Friday 4 September at the Landmark Hotel Beijing.

Contacts:

Dominic Ybarra, Edelman, +1 281-518-9870, dominic.ybarra@edelman.com

Helena Wang, Edelman China, +86 13701200563, helena.wang@edelman.com

The Wi-Fi Alliance has two authorized testing labs in mainland China to accommodate and support Wi-Fi growth in the region. For a list of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, free white papers, and other information, visit http://www.wi-fi.org/.