If you haven’t already changed the settings in your smartphone to link to your in-home Wi-Fi Network, or if you haven’t added Wi-Fi to your residence, then you are definitely behind the times. And if you are thinking smarthome, think Wi-Fi. So says a new report.
According to research firm Parks Associates, Wi-Fi usage surged more than 40 percent in 2016 as more people used mobile devices to link to the Internet and embraced more Internet6-of-Things apps and solutions.
“More than 75% of U.S. broadband households use Wi-Fi for connectivity in the home,” says Patrice Samuels, Senior Analyst at Parks Associates. “Wi-Fi has become ubiquitous in consumers’ lives, and its usage continues to rise. As a result, the vast majority of consumer solutions interact with Wi-Fi solutions on some level, which puts pressure on IoT companies to optimize their solution for a Wi-Fi environment.”
Over two thirds of those people are now using more than 3 gigabytes of data a month.
There will be challenges as the move to Wi-Fi accelerates.
This growing trend “will put added pressure on the wireless home network to maintain quality of service and protect the data and privacy of its users,” Parks notes.
Parks also says that U.S. broadband households on average have more than eight connected consumer electronic devices.
“As consumers add more devices to their home network, it increases pressure on Wi-Fi networks to maintain quality of service,” Samuels said. “Many providers are now starting to roll out whole-home Wi-Fi mesh solutions, which can maintain consistent signal throughout the home.”
For more information, see:
http://www.parksassociates.com/wi-fi-iot
