What’s interesting, then, is recent data from Parks Associates that showed what a massive opportunity the industry has when it comes to pushing the latest in in-home WiFi technology. While roughly 70 percent of U.S. broadband households have a home network router, according to Parks, only 11 percent are using a whole-home WiFi mesh-networking product. Further, only 22 percent are using any kind of WiFi network extender to improve coverage throughout their home.
“Mesh network systems, also referred to as ‘whole-home Wi-Fi’ by makers and retailers, are designed to maximize Wi-Fi coverage and performance in the home. They can replace the home Wi-Fi routers and network extenders that are commonly provided by broadband providers today,” Kristen Hanich, Senior Analyst at Parks Associates, said in a statement. “With WiFi the dominant method of connection in the home, having a strong signal is necessary for proper function of the multiple connected CE and smart home products consumers are buying. There is still plenty of room to grow for mesh networking products.”
From the article "Bringing WiFi Routers Out of the Shadows" by Rob Stott.
Antenna use is on the rise. According to Parks Associates, 15 percent of U.S. homes with broadband service used an antenna instead of traditional pay TV service in Q3 2016, up from around 10 percent a...
Google's decision to discontinue its three-year-old Nest Secure do-it-yourself security system wasn’t a surprise, given Google’s $450 million investment in security stalwart ADT in August, Parks Assoc...
Several recent studies have shown that security and privacy are top of mind for consumers considering Internet of Things devices for their homes. Parks Associates back in October noted around 40 pe...
The independent home automation hub is fading as a means to a do-it-yourself smart home purchase, Robert Parker, SmartThings senior vice president-engineering, told us after his keynote at the Parks’...
