Mntsnow
05-05-2003, 6:20 AM
While the major focus of most broadband providers remains the relatively simple fast Internet connection, efforts are underway to lay the foundation for the next generation of high-speed residential network services. Doing that will require both a network infrastructure capable of delivering large amounts of bandwidth to the home, and in-home infrastructure that can handle the content once it gets there.
Progress is being made on both fronts. On one side, there's growing interest in fiber to the home (FTTH), particularly in master planned communities where developers are beginning to deploy fiber across all the homes in new developments as they are being built. Within the home, more robust networking technologies are beginning to emerge that promise to drive broadband growth from the inside out.
There seems to be quite a bit of activity in both realms, says In- Stat/MDR Analyst Amy Cravens. Offering either community-wide networks or in-home infrastructure at the time of construction is becoming common practice, according to In-Stat's new report, The New Builders of Broadband Networks: In- Stat/MDR Survey of Builders' & Developers' Broadband Intentions. According to the report, about 75 percent of individual homebuilders and residential- community developers have introduced broadband access into at least some of their new projects. Nearly a third of builders said they are making it a standard feature in all new residences they build. Another 20 percent of community developers said they are making the feature standard across some communities.
In some instances the larger picture will influence what's happening in individual homes, says Cravens. Certainly some of the developers have not only decided to introduce broadband connections to every home, but have also introduced specifications for the builders in terms of wiring standards for the home, certain number of access locations and that sort of thing. They do somewhat go hand in hand.
The primary motive of both builders and developers, at this point, seems to be marketing. A little more than half of those who have introduced built-in infrastructure told In-Stat they're making it a key promotional point in their marketing. This is happening across the pricing spectrum. The technology is being deployed in high-end developments to be sure, but In- Stat also found that homes in the $250,000 range are also a prime target
At the moment, the feature is more of an extra than a must-have. Only 4.6 percent of those using broadband access as a marketing point said they believe it is a critical factor for would-be home buyers. That's unlikely to change much, regardless of how popular home networking becomes. No matter how much someone might want a home network, it is unlikely to outweigh factors like price, architecture and location in choosing a home.
Reported by Fiber Optics News via NewsEdge.
Progress is being made on both fronts. On one side, there's growing interest in fiber to the home (FTTH), particularly in master planned communities where developers are beginning to deploy fiber across all the homes in new developments as they are being built. Within the home, more robust networking technologies are beginning to emerge that promise to drive broadband growth from the inside out.
There seems to be quite a bit of activity in both realms, says In- Stat/MDR Analyst Amy Cravens. Offering either community-wide networks or in-home infrastructure at the time of construction is becoming common practice, according to In-Stat's new report, The New Builders of Broadband Networks: In- Stat/MDR Survey of Builders' & Developers' Broadband Intentions. According to the report, about 75 percent of individual homebuilders and residential- community developers have introduced broadband access into at least some of their new projects. Nearly a third of builders said they are making it a standard feature in all new residences they build. Another 20 percent of community developers said they are making the feature standard across some communities.
In some instances the larger picture will influence what's happening in individual homes, says Cravens. Certainly some of the developers have not only decided to introduce broadband connections to every home, but have also introduced specifications for the builders in terms of wiring standards for the home, certain number of access locations and that sort of thing. They do somewhat go hand in hand.
The primary motive of both builders and developers, at this point, seems to be marketing. A little more than half of those who have introduced built-in infrastructure told In-Stat they're making it a key promotional point in their marketing. This is happening across the pricing spectrum. The technology is being deployed in high-end developments to be sure, but In- Stat also found that homes in the $250,000 range are also a prime target
At the moment, the feature is more of an extra than a must-have. Only 4.6 percent of those using broadband access as a marketing point said they believe it is a critical factor for would-be home buyers. That's unlikely to change much, regardless of how popular home networking becomes. No matter how much someone might want a home network, it is unlikely to outweigh factors like price, architecture and location in choosing a home.
Reported by Fiber Optics News via NewsEdge.