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Study finds over half of broadband homes adopt networking tech
Futuresource Consulting has claimed more than half of broadband homes use networking technology.
The study showed 400 million of the 600 million broadband homes around the world at the end of last year adopted home networking solutions and this uptake is expected to grow further. By 2015, it is believed 650 million of the world's 700 million broadband-connected households will be interacting with networked devices.
Predominantly as a result of the increasing popularity of linking multiple gadgets to home networks, the amount of money spent on next-generation media gateways, modems and other broadband equipment will almost reach the billion (£3.8 billion) mark by 2015, Futuresource claimed.
As a further consequence, the research and knowledge-based consulting firm stated demand for higher-tier broadband packages is climbing "rapidly".
Growth in the home networking market is being encouraged by significant levels of support for the technology from consumer electronics manufacturers, which are increasingly integrating IP connectivity into a wide range of devices as standard. This is allowing gadget owners to stream online content via a huge variety of products.
"Tablets and smartphones are influencing the market significantly due to the Wi-Fi connectivity inherent in these devices, especially with wireless being the preferred connection method," Futuresource added.
"In addition, device mobility, quality viewing experience and growing availability of content are also major contributors."
The publication comes just a matter of weeks after the consultancy released a study showing multiple devices and platforms have become the standard choice among consumers in the UK and the US when sharing photos.
More than a third of respondents in both countries prefer sharing images directly from the camera, while 26 per cent in the UK opt to do so via the PC. Viewing on a laptop or tablet is the third most popular option among British consumers.