The number of homes within the top 34 countries worldwide that subscribe to a managed home WiFi service will grow from 40 million in 2020 to 294 million in 2025, says a new report from Maravedis LLC. The analyst firm states in the recently published Managed Home Wi-Fi Networks for the Smart Home 2020-2025 report that the 2025 figure will represent 27% of broadband lines in service at that time.
The projected growth of managed WiFi subscribers derives from several factors, according to the report. Quality of experience has become a focal point, and operators are aware that such quality increasingly means not just high bandwidth but also aspects such as low latency and, increasingly in the future, network security. Maravedis says that most operators see managed WiFi as a way to reduce opex and improve service provision; some have tried to directly monetize it. Robust managed WiFi also can provide a platform for additional services related to Internet of Things (IoT) and home/network security.
With these points in mind, a survey of operators at the heart of the report reveals that many operators are still making basic decisions related to their managed WiFi plans. For example, approximately 75% have yet to select a home security platform provider. And the overall technology market remains fragmented. For example, while a number of initiatives are underway to develop and provide open source/open platform WiFi network technology, the report says that many operators still put more trust in proprietary alternatives. Meanwhile, Maravedis notes that some operators with large enough resources are developing their own gateways and software.
The Maravedis Managed Home Wi-Fi Networks for the Smart Home 2020-2025 report includes the results of a unique survey of service providers about their views of managed home WiFi trends. The report also includes operator profiles from one–on–one briefings with both leading and regional operators in various countries.
