A new report from Parks Associates reveals that 71% of U.S. households with home internet service receive their routers or gateways from their internet service provider (ISP). This marks a reversal of earlier trends, where consumers more often purchased, rather than leased or rented, routers.
The findings, drawn from Parks Associates’ “Home Networking Products: Mesh, Wi-Fi 7, and the Competitive Landscape” study, reflect changing consumer preferences and behaviors following the launch of newer, more expensive technologies like Wi-Fi 6e and Wi-Fi 7 routers.
Kristen Hanich, research director at Parks Associates, said consumers want devices that deliver key features and functionality, and they increasingly see ISPs as a preferred channel, backed by positive Net Promotor Scores (NPS).
“Customers look to their ISP for their home networking equipment, looking for free product offers, leasing and financing agreements, and product discounts,” said Hanich in a press release. “ISP white-labeled routers are the number one ‘brand’ consumers report purchasing, with satisfaction as measured by NPS above the industry average.”
The research, based on a survey of 8,000 U.S. internet households, explores equipment ownership, demand, and satisfaction.
Also among the report’s findings:
- Consumers who own or use an ISP brand router or gateway report NPS scores three times higher than the industry average.
- Approximately one-third of home network router owners report having a mesh network system, and over half of those users also have a pod or node.
Parks Associates reports that the adoption of mesh networking products has plateaued amongst U.S. households, which the firm attributes to the improved coverage and performance of recent generations of routers.
