28 July 2021. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey on how Russians use the Internet and how popular Wi-Fi is.
Russians consider gadgets/smartphones/laptops (8%), military equipment (7%), internet (7%) and space inventions (4%) to be the biggest technological advances of the recent decades. More than half of Russians failed to provide an answer (56%).
Most of Russians (86%) report they use the Internet to varying degrees. Forty percent of Russians prefer mobile data transmission for home internet; a quarter (25%) use wired communication. A third of respondents (33%) use both equally. Mobile internet is popular in rural area (56%) and cities with a population of less than 100,000 inhabitants (45%).
VCIOM asked Russians who use the Internet to assess the quality of cable internet at home. More than a quarter of respondents say the Internet speed and stability have improved over the recent couple of years (28% and 27% respectively). Deterioration is reported by 14% and 13% respectively; 41% and 48%, respectively, report no changes.
As to the quality of mobile Internet in respondent’s settlements, many respondents mentioned improvements in the Internet speed and stability (39% and 32, respectively). Fifteen percent of respondents (for each) reported deterioration; 39% and 47%, respectively, did not notice any changes.
Improvements are often reported by residents of the Ural Federal District (49%). Residents of North Caucasian Federal District tend to point to improvements (46%) but also deteriorations (26%)
Wi-Fi awareness and Wi-Fi at home
The telephone survey shows that 14% of respondents using the Internet at home first heard of or failed to define the “Wi-Fi” acronym. However, the overwhelming majority of Russians using the Internet (87%) gave an answer: the major explanations for the acronym were wireless internet (25%), access to the Internet (21%) and wireless communication (19%).
Seventy-four percent of Russians using the Internet at home have a Wi-Fi router. A quarter of respondents (25%) stated the opposite.
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on July 9, 2021. A total of 1,600 of Russians aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Results are based on telephone interviews. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Can you name three most important inventions of the recent decades? Several answers are possible. (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of total respondents, answers of at least 2% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Gadgets / phones / smartphones / tablets / laptops | 8 |
Arms / military equipment/industry | 7 |
Internet | 7 |
Space / satellites, rockets, space-launch complex | 4 |
Health / medicine / equipment | 3 |
Missiles / hypersonic weapons | 3 |
Computer / computerization | 3 |
Battery cars / e-transport / electric motor | 3 |
Mobile/cellular communications | 3 |
IT-technologies | 2 |
Vaccine against COVID-19 / Sputnik V | 2 |
Elon Mask’s inventions / Tesla / rockets | 2 |
Other | 4 |
Don’t know | 56 |
Today people use both cable Internet and mobile internet transmitted through cell towers. What type of Internet do you use most often at home? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Internet users) | |||||||
| % of those using the Internet | Moscow and St Petersburg | Million-plus cities | 500-950 thousand | 100-500 thousand | Less than 100 thousand | Rural area |
Basically mobile | 40 | 32 | 37 | 32 | 31 | 45 | 56 |
Basically cable | 25 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 33 | 24 | 23 |
Both equally | 33 | 42 | 39 | 42 | 36 | 31 | 20 |
I do no use the Internet at home | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In your opinion, is the quality of cable Internet in your home likely to have improved, deteriorated or not changed over the recent couple of years? Give an assessment across the following parameters: … (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who use the Internet at home) | ||
| Internet speed | Stability, flawless performance |
Likely to have improved | 28 | 27 |
Likely to have deteriorated | 14 | 13 |
No changes | 41 | 48 |
I started to use it not long time ago so I cannot assess it | 7 | 5 |
Don’t know | 10 | 7 |
In your opinion, is the quality of mobile Internet in your area likely to have improved, deteriorated or not changed over the recent couple of years? Give an assessment across the following parameters: … (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who use the Internet) | ||
| Internet speed | Stability, flawless performance |
Likely to have improved | 39 | 32 |
Likely to have deteriorated | 15 | 15 |
No changes | 39 | 47 |
I started to use it not long time ago so I cannot assess it | 2 | 2 |
Don’t know | 5 | 4 |
Have you heard of Wi-Fi? What does it mean? (open-ended question, one answer, % of those who use the Internet, answers of at least 2% of respondents) | |
| % of those using the Internet |
Wireless Internet | 25 |
Internet / it transmits the internet / access to the Internet | 21 |
Wireless communication/ network /data transmission/ connection | 19 |
Router/ modem transmits information/ tethering / a device transmitting the Internet | 5 |
A way of data transmission / data transmission | 4 |
Connection/ network of data transmission/ it shares the connection | 2 |
Other | 2 |
This is the first time I hear about it/ Don’t know | 13 |
Do you have a Wi-Fi router, a device that shares Internet with your computer, telephone, laptop or TV, etc.? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those using the Internet) | |
| % of those using the Internet |
Yes | 74 |
No | 25 |
Don’t know | 1 |
Refusal to answer | 0 |