advantage, their direct connection to every home, will continue to be their greatest asset.”
“ Telcos need to completely rethink the way they approach the household,” Cottam cautions.“ Some opportunities will be direct – for example by selling a home automation service desk that keeps Wi-Fi networks and connected services running and secure without the need for customer intervention – but others will be indirect, such as partnering with other businesses and organisations.
This will see service offerings and partnerships expand far beyond connectivity and entertainment. One opportunity that is emerging is in the healthcare vertical. This can take the form of removing the frustration and inconvenience of having to book an appointment with a healthcare professional, or adjusting the home to the needs of the elderly, the sick or the disabled. Telenor, for example, has offerings for remote patient monitoring; HKT has developed DrGo app for telemedicine and eSmart for wellness tracking.
According to ShiSh Shridhar, global director retail and CPG Startups, Microsoft, the next wave of differentiation for telcos will come from services that deepen daily engagement, increase relevance, and elevate the carrier from utility to platform. He notes:“ Telecom operators already sit at the centre of digital life. Every health app, wearable sync, telemedicine visit, and remote consultation flows across their networks.” He highlights startup Helfie. AI, which uses the Microsoft Azure stack and the telecom network to transform smartphones into AI-powered health screening tools. He argues that success will be defined by the ecosystems telcos’ enable, the services they embed into daily life, and the trust they build with millions of customers. BUNDLE. Reinventing the way telcos bundle services to the intelligent home remains vital. EY notes that bundling broadband with content is still the most popular service combination in this sector, but warns this must expand to include security and well-being features. EY’ s research found customer frustration throughout the customer journey for broadband + content bundles. This was usually due to“ too much choice” or the difficulty of tracking content across platforms. EY says that unless these frustrations are tackled, it will limit growth of premium packages, and recommends that telcos focus on personalised experiences underpinned by smoother customer journeys.
While meeting customers’ needs is key to unlocking the potential of the intelligent home, it is still something that customers feel telcos are falling down on. Deloitte’ s 2025 Connected Consumer Survey, for example, found that 77 % of respondents think tech companies are too focused on
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“ Telcos need to completely rethink the way they approach the household.” – Teresa Cottam, Omnisperience
outpacing the competition rather than solving real user problems. A further 69 % said insufficient attention was being given to risk mitigation. Deloitte’ s study also found that respondents ranked improved security and privacy first when asked which innovations they wanted most in their tech
devices. Many complained that muchvaunted new features don’ t meet their actual needs or change too quickly.
“ Surveyed consumers who view their providers as trusted trailblazers are … more than three times as likely to report high satisfaction with their tech products and services, and nearly four times as likely to say that digital technology has a“ very positive” impact on their lives,” the report found.
This drives home the fact that as telcos move beyond connectivity and expand their intelligent home offerings, customers expect them to curate, protect, and adapt to their needs just as much as they expect them to innovate.
UK smart home market growing The latest insight into the UK smart home sector is now available, as CEDIA, the association for smart home professionals, unveils its 2025 Professional Smart Home Market Analysis for the UK. Combining survey data with real-world sales input, the 2025 report provides a positive outlook of the UK smart home market and explores evolving industry trends.
Produced in partnership with research partner, Ancrage Consulting LLC, the report includes findings from residential integrators, verified sales inputs from leading manufacturers and distributors, and data from two industry-leading quoting and sales management platforms: WeQuote and Specifi. Expanded qualifying criteria ensured the integrity and relevance of the findings, which represent over 600 UK smart home professionals. The report also presented new metrics, including breakdowns of revenue by service and product type, and tracks emerging tech adoption areas. Key findings include:
• The UK smart home market is now valued at an estimated £ 3.1 billion, a 7 % increase from 2023, with growing projections for the next 12 months remaining favourable, especially among CEDIA members.
• There are approximately 3,700 integrators actively operating in the UK.
• The median annual revenue per integration firm has grown to £ 310,000.
• The median project size is now £ 20,500.
• The average integration firm completes 13 projects per year and has a team of five employees.
• Home cinema, lighting / shading, and networking are the top growth categories, while interest in security and outdoor AV have seen a relative decline in focus.
• Nearly 80 % of integrators now offer service agreements, a significant rise from 66 % in 2023.
• There is new growth in the luxury and uber-luxury markets, with 30 per cent now focused on the highest-end clientele.
• Half of all respondents say they plan to hire technical staff in the next 12 months, reinforcing positive growth expectations.“ This year’ s analysis is grounded in real sales data and strengthened by contributions from across the smart home industry, helping our members better understand where opportunities and challenges lie,” said EMEA managing director, Matt Nimmons.“ It’ s encouraging to see continued market growth from the results. This report is central to how CEDIA delivers on its mission – providing reliable, actionable insights that help our members thrive. The report doesn’ t just reflect the state of the market; it helps shape its future.”
Research: Consumers will pay extra 7.7 % premium for smart homes Samsung has released from its Smart Home Buyers Index( SHBI).
The SHBI demonstrates the strength of the market opportunity for developers and homebuilders, with an overwhelming 79 % of people surveyed saying that they want a smart home. What’ s more, they’ re willing to pay an average premium of 7.7 % on the average UK house price of £ 282,776(€ 320,000).