According to new research, among U.S. broadband households purchasing new devices, 81% set up a new tablet on their own, 72% set up a smartphone on their own, and 60% set up a new home network on their own. However, only 51% of these consumers overall would prefer the DIY method on the next setup. Smartphones were the devices most commonly set up by broadband households over the past 12 months.
Improvements in automated device discovery and intuitive interfaces have boosted DIY setup on new devices, but a significant percentage of people prefer assistance. Meeting this demand through premium technical support services provides outstanding growth opportunities for retailers, CE manufacturers, and service providers and creates opportunities to build long-term relationships with consumers.
The interconnectedness and interdependence among devices in the digital home blur the lines for ownership of a problem, so approximately 25% of consumers with a networking-related problem contacted their broadband service provider for assistance, regardless of where they purchased the home networking equipment. In response, providers such Comcast and CenturyLink have expanded their support services to include services, traditionally out-of scope, available on a premium or paid basis.
