Skip to main content

Work from Home: Broadband Service Provider Upside

As demand for broadband internet access increases, many providers focus on infrastructure upgrades. Deployment of technology solutions that support a better broadband user experience is becoming critical for tier-one telecom network service providers to achieve revenue growth.

Smart Wi-Fi and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) are becoming among the key solutions to enhance existing broadband services and support fiber-like broadband in underserved markets without installing last-mile fiber connectivity.

According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, smart Wi-Fi and FWA deployments will drive Wi-Fi mesh and 5G FWA Consumer Premise Equipment (CPE) unit shipments to reach 40.6 million and 14.6 million units respectively in 2025.

Wireless Internet Access Market Development

Despite the network operators’ efforts to provide higher-speed broadband services, investment in infrastructure upgrades alone is no longer enough for a better user experience. As the number of connected devices per household continues to grow, users increasingly demand better in-home Wi-Fi networks.

"Reliable Wi-Fi is crucial as video streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing applications are booming, especially in saturated markets. Operators are responding to the demand by supplying customers with CPE that have mesh systems and higher Wi-Fi standards such as Wi-Fi 6 to support the whole home experience," said Khin Sandi Lynn, an analyst at ABI Research.

According to the ABI assessment, Wi-Fi mesh systems are gaining popularity for complete home Wi-Fi coverage and to support network management tools such as parental control, device-level traffic control, and self-diagnosis in case of technical issues.

These features will continue to drive the adoption of mesh devices in residential broadband services. Providing advanced Wi-Fi devices enables broadband operators to enhance the user’s experience, and increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) that subscribers pay for these mesh systems.

Broadband operators are also adding FWA services to support guaranteed quality-of-service (QoS). Broadband operators including Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, and Vodafone have launched 5G FWA in high-density urban areas to provide fiber-like broadband services.

British Telecom has recently launched Hybrid Connect, an optional add-on service to fixed broadband users. Hybrid Connect enables all the devices within the home to connect to FWA in case of a technical problem in the fixed broadband.

In addition to Wi-Fi and FWA solutions, ABI analysts believe service providers need to consider adding value-added services such as internet and home security applications and smart-home solutions to their broadband access services to create more revenue streams.

Outlook for Broadband Access Applications Growth

"Ultimately, service providers need to embrace advanced technology and take advantage of their strong relationship with existing broadband customers to win their business goals. Investments in efficient software solutions to understand user behavior, including frequently used applications and services, data consumption, and devices connected to the network, will help service providers pinpoint the needs of their existing customers," concludes Lynn.

In addition, the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) data analysis tools can help broadband service providers achieve business benefits such as improved network optimization, preventive maintenance, and enable sales and marketing strategies that utilize subscriber usage trends.

Moreover, I believe that broadband service providers will target the employers of remote workers that are based in home offices. They require reliable and secure network access to the corporate data center and SaaS applications. Branch office network optimization solutions, such as SD-WAN and SASE, are likely to benefit the work-from-home (WFH) employee population across a variety of industry verticals.

Popular posts from this blog

How Savvy Pioneers Lead the Future of Work

Hybrid and fully remote work are inevitable in the Global Networked Economy where high-performance talent demands flexibility from employers. To enable these progressive work models, organizations are investing in a wide range of technologies to support more agile types of employment.  According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), leading organizations will spend nearly $1 billion on the Future of Work (FoW) in 2023 -- that's an increase of 18.8 percent over 2022. Future of Work Market Development "Work models continue to evolve, but 37 percent of decision-makers in a recent global survey note that Remote and Hybrid work models will be an embedded part of accepted work practices, supported by a continued shift to the cloud, increasingly instrumented and interconnected physical workplaces, and intelligent digital workspaces," said Holly Muscolino, group vice president at IDC . According to the IDC assessment, organizations must mak

Human Resource Transformation Enabled by IT

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p

Global EV Charging Revenue to Exceed $300B

During 2022, fuel prices increased very quickly, partly due to a number of macroeconomic reasons. In fact, the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still impacting fuel prices, with many oil refineries having reduced capacity due to a prior fall in demand. Those significant events and other trends have created a demand for a growing variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs). While EVs have existed for decades, they really became a viable option for more consumers during the past five years. However, although EVs are suitable for some buyer needs, their usability is constrained by the current availability of battery charging infrastructure. EV Charging Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue from electric vehicle charging will exceed $300 billion globally by 2027 -- that's up from $66 billion in 2023. Regardless, the Juniper analysis found that fragmentation in battery charging networks is restricting further EV adoption in some