It’s pretty clear now—Americans love the Internet of Things (IoT). Connected devices are finding their way into more aspects of our daily lives, and that has a big impact on the digital landscape. In fact, according to Parks Associates, 71 percent of U.S. broadband households own a connected entertainment device. Combine that with the fact that streaming video made up 76 percent of all consumer internet traffic in 2017, and it’s clear how large of an impact IoT already has on the internet ecosystem. And it’s only going to grow, and quickly.
In the next few years, analysts expect IoT to be the shaping force for new infrastructure. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), display after display seemed to utilize a broadband connection in everything from autonomous cars to augmented reality museum tours. Currently in the U.S. there are approximately eight networked devices per person, a number expected to climb to 13.6 per person by 2022. If that sounds surprising, consider this; in the U.S. smart speaker market alone, adoption grew from 66.7 million devices in December 2017 to a staggering 118.5 million just one year later.
IoT depends on a reliable and robust broadband network capable of supporting the huge increase in internet traffic. That’s why, earlier this year, the cable industry announced its plans for 10G (short for 10 gigabit) in order to support the connected future. 10G is the gigabit-enabled technology platform of the future that will deliver internet speeds 10 times faster than today’s networks with the power and capacity to change the way we live, learn, work and play. By utilizing brilliant software innovations like Full Duplex DOCSIS and Wi-Fi 6, America’s broadband providers will be able to deliver multi-gigabit speeds across existing networks.
That means Americans can take full advantage of the latest smart tech without having to worry about network congestion or sluggish speeds. To learn more about the 10G Platform, be sure to check out www.10gplatform.com and follow @10Gplatform on Twitter.