Connectivity Issues Behind Rise in Unresolved Smart Home Tech Issues, Says Parks

Twelve percent of U.S. broadband households reported unresolved technical problems this year vs. 5 percent in the previous three years, with issues becoming more complicated and difficult to diagnose, Parks Associates blogged Wednesday. “Strong value is achieved from the smart home when devices communicate with each other,” analyst Patrice Samuels said, but diversity in device technology and communication protocols is making seamless communication difficult. Wi-Fi connectivity is the most persistent issue across all device types, Samuels said. A support solution that can warn about potential or impending connectivity problems on a network would be valuable in a smart home, she said. Among findings: 79 percent of smart home device owners set up at least one device by themselves or with the help of friends and family; 16 percent of consumers who set up computing and entertainment devices themselves reported the process difficult; 14 percent of smart home device owners said they had problems with a device in 2018; and the 72 percent of consumers who paid one-time fees for support of smart home, computing or entertainment devices paid $50 or more for the service.