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Broadband and Mobility

52% of consumers acquired their routers from their ISP

Research addresses demand for home networking equipment as US ISPs add 9.3 million new households across 2020 and 2021 

New research from Parks Associates reports that in Q1 2022, 52% of consumers acquired their routers from their ISP, now exceeding retail-acquired devices. Home Networking Smart Product Market Assessment includes consumer data and industry insight for home networking equipment, including trending data across years and insight into product adoption, brand footprint, mesh networking solutions, router-enabled services, and the multifamily landscape for routers.

“Internet service providers ramped up their efforts to deliver new CPE to their customers, looking to capitalize on renewed demand for high-speed, reliable, and stable internet services and Wi-Fi,” said Kristen Hanich, Research Director, Parks Associates. “Among consumers who purchased their routers at retail, adoption is consolidating among the top brands. Consumers are looking for devices that deliver key features and functionality and increasingly see ISPs as a preferred channel.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, strain on home networks and usage of Wi-Fi in home increased considerably, triggering demand for new networking equipment and reliable Wi-Fi solutions.

“Many internet service providers are deploying new routers, gateways, and mesh networking equipment to better meet the needs of their subscribers," Hanich said. “OEMs have moved to meet customer demand, but lead times are still long due to supply chain constraints and record growth—ISPs added 9.3 million new households across 2020 and 2021.”

Home Networking Smart Product Market Assessment identifies key market drivers and barriers and assesses growth in the home networking space via topline market forecasts. Other highlights:

  • Routers have a growing role as distribution platforms.
  • The majority of mesh systems were acquired from an ISP as opposed to retail.
  • 43% of US internet households live in a home that is over 2,000 square feet in size.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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