The Year 2020 like any other year started with a lot of dreams, enthusiasm and self belief. However the COVID-19 seems to have put a sudden halt to the enthusiasm. While these are challenging times, they won’t last forever. Humanity has seen many such disruptions in the past and the fact is that we have always come back more stronger and determined.
The pandemic which has locked down billions of people around the world highlights the fact that the human race can adapt to any new change within a fraction of time. The end of this pandemic is sure to bring in a alot, which we will call the new normal. One such precursor to this is the dramatic change in our digital lifestyle. This one event has triggered a phenomenon of change in consumer habits which no technology company could do even after spending billions of dollars in marketing budgets.
Over the past few weeks there has been a change in the digital consumption habits and that too at a mass level. We are working out of virtual offices, the kids are attending virtual classes, we reunite with our old friends over video calls, gyms have started online training sessions, people have attended live webinars & sessions, many of us are using online doctor consultations for the first time, we have taught our elders to make video calls or use online apps for home delivery of goods, and many more.
This will surely trigger investments in companies that will be able to transform their business model to ensure service or product delivery through digital channels, a new breed of companies who will be able to bring innovation during these challenging times will also crop up. Investment by large companies to fast track the innovation will also be observed. However, for this transition to sustain in this new normal, the most important link will be the Home Broadband.
While the fundamentals may support the rise of Home Broadband, the service providers also need to rise up to the occasion in terms of innovation. The odds are pretty high that consumers will prefer to opt for broadband plans not only in terms of speed but also in terms of add on services. Some of the key trends which the Home Broadband industry will see are as follows:
Managed WiFi - A Managed WiFi service with features like enhanced security management, ubiquitous coverage in homes, device connection assistance, guest management on WiFi, remote maintenance and support using a combination of monitoring and administrative tools which will enhance the network performance and user experience.
Parental Controls - A Parental Control service which will enable the end users to customise and manage the content consumption in their premises with a combination of Category Based Filtering and Time-Based Filtering thus allowing filtering on the basis of self content filtering and intelligent risk detection that identifies dangerous links.
Bandwidth on Demand - A network connectivity service which will allow users to request additional bandwidth at desired levels when and where they need it. The service will help users to manage their short term requirements related to sudden surge in bandwidth needs for events like online webinars, streaming of live events, etc.
Over the years we have seen many disruptions in the Telecom industry, however the Home Broadband market is still to get its fair share of investments and focus. It's quite evident that this event will change the status quo. We may see large scale investments by existing players to expand their last mile fiber networks. The VCs and PEs who have stayed away from smaller fixed line operators may come back with investments for companies who are ready to innovate.
If service providers rise up to the occasion, we will surely see a rise of Home Broadband 2.0!