Internet service is the most important utility in the home, according to 52% of U.S. consumers surveyed in the first of a series of tech consumer research surveys being conducted by Verizon. Nearly 40% of Americans have been identified in the “Verizon FiOS Innovation Index: Borderless Lifestyle Survey” as “borderless consumers,” including those that have an Internet connected device with them at all times whenever they leave the home.
The convergence of digital wireless and wired broadband networks is resulting in what Verizon’s dubbed the “Borderless Lifestyle.” As Verizon explains it, “The Borderless Lifestyle is about eliminating the old technology boundaries that used to separate networks and service platforms, home and work, allowing customers to connect and accomplish what they want or need to do, whenever they wish, wherever they are, using the device that they prefer.”
Added Verizon vice president of FiOS strategy and development Eric Bruno, “As the borderless consumer segment continues to grow, so will the need to identify, understand and anticipate what consumers truly want in their increasingly connected lives – today and in the future.”
The home remains the center for digital activities, be it communication, entertainment or commerce, despite the proliferation of mobile devices and rapid adoption of “Anytime, Anywhere” connectivity options, according to Verizon.
Over-the-top (OTT) video consumption continues to drive Internet traffic growth, with 18-34 year-olds the primary adopters. Eighty-nine percent of Borderless Consumers and 90% of their Non-Borderless counterparts still prefer watching shows on their TVs, however, Verizon found.
Borderless Consumers transcend age and ethnic groups, according to Verizon. Included are millennials to Gen X’ers, Baby Boomers and the Mature Generation, though 18-34 year-olds make up the greatest number. “Many are college educated, own their own home, and nearly half of them earn $75,000 or more annually.”
Some 82% of Borderless Consumers are interested in network services, such as cloud-based data storage. Ninety percent “look forward to the day when every connectable device in their house can seamlessly interconnect and work together via their in-home network or online.”
“The broadening appeal of anywhere, anytime connectivity is blurring the boundaries that used to separate the home from everywhere else we go every day, and the Borderless Lifestyle Survey offers clear evidence of that,” said Ruchir Rodrigues, vice president of technology for Verizon.
“Between smartphones, tablets, laptop and desktop computers, and connected TVs and game consoles, consumers want the benefits, convenience and intuitiveness of a connected life and smart home,” Rodrigues said. “This presents a huge innovation opportunity to the technology community as we all pursue the development of new products, apps and services that expand and enrich our borderless lifestyle experience.”
