Wi-Fi and Mobile TV: A RomCom With a Happy Ending?

It’s predicted that in less than two years, the average person will own five Wi-Fi enabled devices and that 86 percent of all in-home broadband usage will be via a Wi-Fi connection. Many of us already have many more than five devices and live in homes where 100 percent of broadband usage is dependent on Wi-Fi. So it’s no surprise that the just-released 2015 ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index offers some revealing data on not only changes in TV watching trends via Wi-Fi devices, but how consumers perceive how their home Wi-Fi is holding up under the added pressure of streaming video.The ARRIS report reveals that the popularity of mobile TV, that is, people watching TV on mobile devices, is on a dramatic rise. And perhaps more importantly, that 73 percent of those who watch mobile TV at least once a week do so using a Wi-Fi connection. Unsurprisingly, viewers between the ages of 16 and 24 are the fastest growing group taking advantage of mobile TV. All of this has lead to 55 percent of high-speed Internet users in America and Canada reporting problems with their home Wi-Fi.Though ARRIS combines these facts under the same umbrella conclusion of “Consumers demand Wi-Fi without limits,” let’s take these two facts separately and consider what they tell us about the current state of the broadband and television industry:ARRIS doesn’t offer specifics, but it’s likely the changing TV trends noted in the report – especially trends towards watching TV on non-traditional devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers – is a direct result of efforts from television providers to offer content on devices other than home TVs. This isn’t just by making more content available on OTT services like Netflix, but also by creating their own standalone services like Watch ESPN, HBO GO, and Showtime’s new streaming service Showtime Anytime. Plus, show purchasing services like iTunes and Amazon further allow TV viewers to access content on any device in any location via Wi-Fi, mobile, or wired broadband. So the first conclusion from this data should be great news for premium TV providers and content creators – more consumers are enjoying their content in all-new ways.The second conclusion made by the ARRIS report is that consumers want better Wi-Fi. Specifically, the report says that 55 percent of respondents in the United States and Canada say they have problems with their home Wi-Fi. It’s not clear in the report whether these reported problems were a result of the ISP, the router, the viewing device, or some mix of more than one. Still, it’s fair to say the added pressure streaming content has placed on Wi-Fi is something we have to address. That’s why NCTA is so focused on releasing more unlicensed spectrum bands usable by Wi-Fi technologies. You can learn more about NCTA's Wi-Fi efforts here, but in short, today we have the technical ability to stream up to ten gigabits of data per second, capable of handling our data streaming needs today and well into the future. What we lack is the allotted spectrum to do so.Whatever conclusions can be drawn from the ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Report, one thing is clear: consumers love watching TV on whichever device they have handy via whatever broadband access point is near by. Easier access to content and more ubiquitous Wi-Fi are undoubtedly the core cause for these TV trends, but in order to keep up with demand, we’re going to have to make more Wi-Fi, and thus more unlicensed spectrum, available to consumers.