Brits fear that too many connected devices could impact their festivities, finds Zen Internet

Mistletoe and Whine, The WiFi’s not fine: Brits fear that too many connected devices could impact their festivities, finds Zen Internet

•  Despite this, consumers are expected to add to the number of connected devices they own this Christmas
• Tablets, Smartphones and Smart Toys expected to be the most gifted Internet of Things devices this festive season

 With broadband a political priority ahead of a Christmas General Election, the need for better connectivity could not be clearer, but new research from Zen Internet highlights the fears of the nation this festive digital season. Surveying more than 2,000 consumers across Britain Zen found that one in four (28%) households is concerned that too many devices using the WiFi at once could impact the reliability of their connection.

Despite already hosting at least seven devices on their home WiFi, over a third (34%) of respondents are still planning on buying at least one Internet of Things (IoT) device this year. The retail industry is anticipating 2019 will have been a bumper year when it comes to smart home devices with spending expected to exceed £10bn by the end of the year.

The top four IoT devices expected to be gifted this Christmas:

1. Tablets (32%)
2. Smartphones (30%)
3. Smart Toys (29%)
4. Smart Watches (27%)

Consumers need to ensure they have the right broadband service in place to meet increasing bandwidth requirements and also solve ‘not-spot’ issues that could restrict the use of a new device in the room intended.

Brits are also planning to throw open their doors this festive season to welcome friends and family – which is likely to increase the pressures on household broadband. With the average person inviting three people over, and almost one in five (19%) looking to host six or more guests – with each likely bringing their own digital device – the competition for bandwidth could mean people face difficulties streaming, shopping and socialising online this festive season.

Georgina Lord, Managing Director, Zen Retail, said: “With so many new devices set to be connected to the web, it is important that households can experience reliable connectivity whether that be increased speeds or having a wider WiFi reach in the home. This will not only help avoid disappointment with  new devices potentially not connecting on Christmas morning, but will also help accommodate connection requirements of extra guests that visit during the festive period.

 “Fortunately, there are a number of steps families can take to ensure better speeds and a more reliable WiFi connection around the home. This is a good time to review if your current speeds still meet growing requirements. Or to get rid of any ‘not spot’ issues you may have in your home our EveryRoom service guarantees WiFi connectivity in every part of the house leaving everyone feeling merrily ‘online’ this Christmas.”

 It’ll be lonely this Christmas, without WiFi to call

 This Christmas, Zen estimates that 41.8 million Brits (63%) will connect with their loved ones over online calls with 3.9 million (6%) doing so in the bathroom or en-suite. A similar number of Brits (5%) are also likely to stream their favourite show on Netflix or iPlayer over the festive period there. Meanwhile, more than one in ten (11%) will duck family festivities for some secret social media scrolling in the bathroom, with 10% also using the bathroom as a safe space to surf the web for online shopping.

Lord concludes: “This is set to be the most connected Christmas yet with people logging on to a device wherever and whenever they can. From lounge to loft, bathroom to spare bedroom, consumers need to ensure their broadband provider is able to deliver a good connection throughout their home, not just in the perceived popular rooms.”

Christmas tips from Zen

With internet access now a vital part of a UK Christmas, there are steps that households can take to ensure they get the most out of their WiFi during the festive period, including:

1. Review whether your current broadband speeds meet your growing requirements
2. Improve WiFi connectivity throughout the home with a WiFi Mesh service such as Zen EveryRoom
3. Ensure everyone in the house is using the internet securely and safely
4. Change default passwords on any new devices
5. Check if your router supports guest access so you can safely share your connection with visitors without having to give them access to your private network or key
6. Make sure to take time out from online activities to focus on family and friends