According to ABI Research, while WiFi dominates the home networks market, demand for wired home networking devices supporting high throughput is on the rise. ABI expects that Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) 2.5 or G.hn specification network node shipments will reach 8 million units in 2019.
"WiFi networks are highly penetrated in today's broadband homes due to the convenience of wireless connectivity. Newer WiFi standards and devices such as WiFi mesh systems do improve the coverage and throughput of home networks; however, wired connectivity can improve the stability and throughput, especially while using bandwidth-intensive applications," said Khin Sandi Lynn, an industry analyst at ABI.
The G.hn standard is designed to support home networking data rates up to 2 Gbps over coaxial, power lines, optical fiber or telephone wiring, while MoCA 2.5 is designed to support up to 2.5 Gbps speed over coaxial cables.
There is growing interest from service providers in both technologies to deploy as an efficient backbone for residential WiFi networks. Taiwanese service provider, Chunghwa Telecom recently announced the launch Gh.n adapters to its FTTx subscribers. Operators including China Telecom, China Unicom, and UK Liberty Global have also joined HomeGrid Forum in support of G.hn technology.
MoCA home networking adoption is mainly concentrated in North America; however, the Multimedia over Coax Alliance continues to eye growth in Europe and the Asia Pacific regions, particularly since 2017 with the introduction of MoCA Access 2.5, which added broadband access specifications based on MoCA 2.5.
WiFi is currently the preferred home network connectivity, but there is significant market potential for wired networking devices supporting high capacity or to complement WiFi installations. The increasing use of live video streaming, gaming, and VR applications is likely to boost demand for 100% reliable coverage of home networks. Service providers can take advantage of advanced home networking devices and integrate with WiFi offerings to optimize customer experience. ABI Research forecasts that advanced home networking node shipments will reach 39 million units in 2023.