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--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.

“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.”

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

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