Broadband providers are sneaking into the smart home

Just because it isn’t as futuristic as we pictured doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened yet: Smart devices are on the rise, and they’re creeping into the broadband world. Our refrigerators aren’t making us sandwiches and we don’t have laundry folding robots (yet), but subtle smart home devices (a.k.a. any gadget with internet connectivity) like washing machines, smoke detectors and locks are starting to nestle into more homes. According to Parks Associates, 45 percent of homes in the US have at least one smart home device. As broadband providers lose entertainment revenue to streaming services, they can find new revenue through value-added services like bundled offerings that include smart home device integration. The smart device is important to broadband providers now because it's a revenue driver, and can even boost Net Promoter Scores (NPS).