Strategy Analytics: A Quarter of Households Worldwide Now Have Wireless Home Networks

China to Add More Than 110 Million Wi-Fi Homes In Next Five Years

BOSTON--()--Wireless home networks are now commonplace in many global markets, according to new research from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service, “Broadband and Wi-Fi Households Global Forecast 2012.” By the end of 2011, 439 million households worldwide had installed home Wi-Fi networks, equivalent to 25 percent of all households. This report predicts that the total worldwide number of Wi-Fi households will reach nearly 800 million in 2016, a penetration rate of 42 percent.

Wi-Fi has become a mainstream wireless technology which provides Internet access at home to a wide variety of consumer electronics and mobile devices. Coupled with the proliferation of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, the continued expansion of broadband services provides a solid foundation for further growth in home Wi-Fi adoption. South Korea, where broadband networks are almost ubiquitous, had the highest Wi-Fi household penetration in the world in 2011. On the other hand, even though China’s Wi-Fi network penetration stood at only 25 percent in 2011, it will become the main growth driver in the global Wi-Fi home market over the next five years, adding another 110 million Wi-Fi households by 2016.

Jia Wu, Senior Analyst, Connected Home Devices, said, “Developed broadband markets are currently the leading countries in terms of Wi-Fi household penetration. However, because of its population size, China already has the highest number of Wi-Fi households in the world, followed by USA and Japan.”

Kantideep Thota, Analyst, added, “As most broadband growth will come from Asia Pacific, the bulk of Wi-Fi household growth will also will take place in China, India and other emerging Asia Pacific countries. China alone will account for 31 percent of total Wi-Fi household growth over the next five years.”

Wi-Fi Households – Penetration of Total Households: 17 Selected Countries in 2011

Wi-Fi Household Penetration %           2011
South Korea 80.3%
United Kingdom 73.3%
Germany 71.7%
France 71.6%
Japan 68.4%
Canada 67.8%
Italy 61.8%
USA 61.0%
Spain 57.1%
Australia 53.8%
Czech Republic 31.6%
Mexico 31.5%
Poland 28.0%
Russia 22.9%
China 21.8%
Brazil 20.4%
India 2.5%

Source: Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service, April 2012; 17 countries included in study

Analyst Blog: http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/chd

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Strategy Analytics provides timely and actionable market intelligence focused on opportunities and disruptive forces in the areas of emerging technology, communications and media. For more information, please visit http://www.strategyanalytics.com/

Contacts

Strategy Analytics
US Contact:
Jia Wu, +1 617-614-0712
jwu@strategyanalytics.com
or
European Contact:
Kantideep Thota, +44(0) 1908 423 611
kthota@strategyanalytics.com

Release Summary

This report predicts that the total worldwide number of Wi-Fi households will reach nearly 800 million in 2016, a penetration rate of 42 percent.

Contacts

Strategy Analytics
US Contact:
Jia Wu, +1 617-614-0712
jwu@strategyanalytics.com
or
European Contact:
Kantideep Thota, +44(0) 1908 423 611
kthota@strategyanalytics.com