The digital divide is a myth and digital networking is the most powerful social media bond in Switzerland, according to a study commissioned by Swisscom.
While 73% of the respondents in the survey said they keep in touch with friends by visiting them in their homes, 72% said that exchanging text messages by SMS or messaging services such as Whatsapp was almost equally as important to them. "Phone calls" and "going out" were also seen as less important at 56% and 53% respectively.
The Swisscom survey also found that digital networking was almost as important to those living in rural areas as it was to those in towns and cities -- they would all rather be without a car than an Internet and mobile connection.
According to the survey, traditional methods of communication, such as fixed-line telephony, letter and parcel post declined in importance just as much in rural areas as in towns and cities.
Three out of four of the working Swiss currently access work emails from home, and more than half carry out other work for their employers from home. More than a third (35%) would like to do so more frequently, especially among those whose work involves being online frequently and who have long commutes.
Research institute sotomo surveyed 14,174 people about various online channels from February 11 to February 23 on behalf of Swisscom AG (NYSE: SCM).
— Mike Robuck, Editor, Telco Transformation