If you're in the internet or telecommunications business, here's something worth paying attention to: a significant portion of Nextdoor users are actively planning to change their internet plans in the next six months. And when they do, the vast majority are open to switching providers entirely.
We surveyed 850 U.S. adults in late October 2025 to understand how neighbors choose, evaluate, and switch their home and mobile internet services. What we found reveals a market in motion—and major opportunities for providers who know how to reach decision-makers at the right moment with the right message.
Let's start with the headline finding: 42% of neighbors are likely to change their home internet plan in the next six months, and 36% are likely to change their mobile plan. These aren't people casually browsing—they're 10% more likely than the general population to be actively considering a switch for home internet, and 8% more likely for mobile.
Even more striking, among those planning to change, 93% are considering switching to a new home internet provider altogether, and that figure jumps to 95% for mobile service. This isn't about upgrading within the same company. People are genuinely shopping around, which means the customer acquisition opportunity is enormous for providers who can make a compelling case.
Here's why Nextdoor matters so much for internet and telecom providers: neighbors are the decision-makers. A full 78% of neighbors say they're the main decision-maker for their household's home internet plan, which is 12% higher than the general population. For mobile plans, that figure rises to 82%—14% above average.
This isn't a situation where you need to convince multiple stakeholders or navigate complex household dynamics. When you reach a neighbor on Nextdoor, you're typically reaching the person who will ultimately choose the provider and sign the contract. That makes every impression count.
When neighbors choose an internet plan, certain factors rise to the top consistently. For home internet, reliability is the single most important consideration (60%), followed closely by the price of the monthly plan or initial deal (53%) and speed (48%). Brand reputation and trustworthiness come in at 26%.
For mobile service, cost takes the lead (57%), with network coverage and reliability close behind (46%). Unlimited or high data caps matter to 44% of neighbors, and 5G availability or speed influences 36%.
The message is clear: neighbors want service they can count on at a price that makes sense. Speed matters, especially for home internet, but it's not everything. The perception of value—getting reliable performance for a reasonable cost—is what ultimately drives decisions.
When it comes to home internet technology, traditional cable remains the most common connection method for neighbors (31%), but it no longer dominates the landscape. Fixed wireless has captured 26% of the market, fiber optic cable accounts for 25%, and satellite serves 8%.
Interestingly, among those who don't use fixed wireless or 5G home internet, 45% say they're happy with their current service and don't feel the need to switch. This suggests that while newer technologies are making inroads, satisfaction with traditional connections remains relatively high—which means providers need to give people compelling reasons to make a change.
Neighbors love bundles. A full 71% bundle their home internet with another service, most commonly cable TV or streaming services (47%), followed by mobile phone service (36%) and home landline service (33%). Home security or smart home services round out the options at 21%.
Notably, neighbors are 13% more likely than the general population to bundle with a landline and 11% more likely to bundle with home security or smart home services. This creates natural cross-selling opportunities for providers who offer multiple services and can package them attractively.
Understanding how neighbors use their internet helps explain why reliability ranks so highly. The top use case is streaming TV or movies (75%), followed by video calls (51%), online gaming (44%), smart home devices (40%), working from home (39%), and managing children's schoolwork or entertainment (26%).
Neighbors are 10% more likely than the general population to rely on stable home internet for working from home, and 11% more likely to need it for managing children's activities. These aren't frivolous uses—they're essential functions that affect work performance and family wellbeing. When internet goes down or performs poorly, it creates real problems, which is why reliability can't be overlooked in marketing messages.
Looking at current market share among neighbors, Xfinity leads home internet with 19%, followed closely by Verizon (18%), Spectrum (16%), AT&T (15%), and T-Mobile (11%). No single provider dominates, which means there's room for everyone to grow.
For mobile service, three providers hold the majority: Verizon (28%), AT&T (26%), and T-Mobile (21%), with Spectrum (8%) and Xfinity/Comcast (5%) also in the mix.
When we asked neighbors about brand perceptions, Verizon came out on top across most positive attributes for home internet—rating highest for customer service, reliability, fast data speeds, and value for money. AT&T and Spectrum also showed strong performance, though with some room for improvement in specific areas.
For mobile service, the three leading providers—T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T—perform similarly across most attributes, with T-Mobile standing out particularly for value for money. This suggests that in the mobile space, the competitive playing field is relatively level, and small differences in messaging or offers could shift customer decisions significantly.
Among neighbors planning to change their home internet plan, the top reasons are straightforward: their current plan is too expensive (50%), they want a better deal bundling with their mobile provider (45%), they want better performance for gaming or streaming (34%), their current service is unreliable (30%), and they're experiencing poor customer service (25%) or moving homes (25%).
Neighbors are 11% more likely than the general population to cite bundling opportunities and 13% more likely to mention performance needs as drivers of their switching decision.
For mobile plans, similar themes emerge. Current plans being too expensive tops the list at 47%, followed by wanting a better deal on phone upgrades (43%), readiness for the latest technology or 5G access (39%), poor coverage or reliability (31%), and wanting unlimited or higher data caps (25%). Neighbors are 12% more likely than average to cite technology readiness as a factor.
When it comes to researching their next internet plan, neighbors turn primarily to three sources: the provider's own website (60% for home, 51% for mobile), online comparison sites (56% for home, 46% for mobile), and direct recommendations from friends, family, and neighbors (57% for home, 44% for mobile).
Notably, neighbors are 10% more likely than the general population to consult both provider websites and friends/family when researching home internet. This combination of official information and peer validation matters—people want data, but they also want reassurance from sources they trust.
Among neighbors who aren't currently planning to switch, we asked what might change their minds. For home internet, the top motivators would be higher speeds (41%), a better deal (40%), and a guarantee of no price increases for a set period (39%).
For mobile service, the winning offers would be a guarantee of no price increases (35%), truly unlimited high-speed data (30%), and a free or discounted phone upgrade (26%).
These aren't abstract preferences—they're specific, actionable offers that providers can build campaigns around.
Even in an increasingly digital world, physical locations play an important role in the mobile service customer journey. Among neighbors, 37% have visited their mobile provider's store in person in the last six months to upgrade a phone or device—a rate 10% higher than the general population. Another 24% visited to compare new phones or plans, and 24% went to resolve a technical issue.
This reinforces the value of maintaining a local presence and making it easy for customers to get hands-on help when they need it, especially for high-value transactions like phone upgrades.
The research reveals several clear strategies for providers looking to grow their customer base on Nextdoor:
Reach decision-makers directly. With the majority of neighbors controlling household internet decisions, advertising on Nextdoor ensures your message reaches the person who will ultimately choose your service.
Lead with reliability and value. Don't just talk about speed or features. Neighbors want to know your service is dependable and fairly priced. Make those benefits central to your messaging.
Promote bundles aggressively. With 71% of neighbors already bundling services, there's clear appetite for packages that combine home internet, mobile, TV, and other services. Make your bundle offers prominent and easy to understand.
Emphasize use cases that matter. Position your service around the activities neighbors care about—streaming without buffering, video calls that don't drop, gaming performance, reliable work-from-home connections, and keeping kids' schoolwork on track.
Offer price guarantees and upgrade deals. Neighbors respond to offers that lock in pricing and provide phone upgrade incentives. These concrete benefits drive switching decisions more than vague promises about network quality.
Leverage local recommendations. Neighbors trust other neighbors. Encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences, and make it easy for prospects to find authentic peer reviews and recommendations on Nextdoor.
Time your campaigns to the switching window. With 42% of neighbors likely to change home internet and 36% likely to change mobile plans in the next six months, there's urgency to reach these prospects now, while they're actively evaluating options.
The internet and telecom market among Nextdoor users is dynamic, with a substantial portion of the audience ready to make changes and genuinely willing to consider new providers. For companies that can demonstrate reliability, offer fair value, and reach decision-makers with the right message at the right time, the opportunity for customer acquisition is significant.
Want to explore the complete findings? This summary highlights key insights from our research, but there's much more to discover. For the full report with detailed data, additional audience segments, and strategic recommendations for your campaigns, reach out to Jacob Chavis, Customer Analytics & Insights Manager, at jchavis@nextdoor.com. Our team can help you apply these insights to reach high-intent neighbors at the moments that matter most.