Top 5 statistics reveal: These are the smart home devices that Finns want – current trends indicate a need for 5G at home

Compared to last year’s figures for February–June, the highest growth has been seen in smart lighting, which has experienced a rise of almost 50 per cent. DNA started selling robot vacuum cleaners this year, and there has been clear interest from the outset.

“Sales of smart lighting have risen strongly in the Finnish market. The number of robot vacuum cleaners in Finnish homes has already increased dramatically. This is most likely due to people wanting to make their daily lives easier, for example, by not needing to worry about vacuuming.  When it comes to vacuum cleaners, all of the trends seem to be accelerating and I expect them to be the fastest growing product group during the end of the year,” says Pekka Väisänen, Senior Vice President, Consumer Business, DNA.

Interest in smart speakers has also increased. However, the fact that they can’t yet be controlled in Finnish is currently preventing their use from becoming more widespread. Väisänen believes, that there’ll be a burst in sales as soon as Finnish language becomes supported.

Many smart home builders run into the same problem – current trends show why 5G is required 

The increasing number of smart devices will inevitably mean that Finnish households will require faster internet connections. Väisänen believes that, for many people, this will be concrete proof of the benefits of 5G.

“5G enables the simultaneous use of more devices in a network, and this is not restricted to just robot vacuum cleaners and smart lighting. Many of us now have multiple computers, smartphones, tablets and networked smart TVs in our homes. A good 5G connection will ensure that they all work together with networked home appliances, which are growing in popularity.”

Your own “slice” of the net preserves speed even during heavy traffic

Operators are also facing a challenge, as consumers need ever faster and more reliable connections to their homes. Those living in detached houses in particular may find their connection under pressure when the net is being used by adults for teleworking, children for schoolwork, and the whole family for entertainment.

DNA has risen to this challenge by introducing DNA Home 5G, which has a minimum guaranteed speed of 100 Mbit/s. This speed guarantee will prevent any disruptions caused by speed variations in the mobile network, thereby ensuring a reliable home internet connection. Capacity management – and in the future 5G network slicing – will be used to guarantee connection speeds and provide customers with their own lane.

“In practice, the speed guarantee means that your home internet will continue to work reliably, even if all your neighbours are watching the Finland-Sweden hockey finals online at the same time. In a normal mobile network, everyone would have to share the same bandwidth, but DNA Home 5G users will be guaranteed their own slices,” Väisänen explains.

He reminds us that smart homes mean more than just devices and voice commands. Many Finns are currently making their homes smarter with a variety of measuring instruments and remote monitoring tools.

“The popularity of measuring instruments and remote monitoring tools is clearly rising. This is particularly true for recreational buildings and holiday homes, and improved internet connections are enabling a broad range of remote monitoring options from cameras to sockets and even air source heat pumps. They allow you to keep track of and control what’s going on at your summer cottage. And this is, of course, becoming more common at home as well,” says Väisänen.

Top 5 bestselling smart home device categories

1. DNA TV Hubi
2. Smart TVs
3. Robot vacuum cleaners
4. Smart lighting
5. Smart speakers

Bestselling product by category

1. DNA TV Hubi
2. Smart-TVs: Samsung 55" Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV UE55TU7005
3. Robot vacuum cleaners: iRobot Roomba 975
4. Smart lighting: Philips Hue White & Colour light strip
5. Smart speakers: LG XBOOM AI ThinQ smart speaker

Further information for the media:

Pekka Väisänen, Senior Vice President, Consumer Business, DNA Plc, tel. +358 (0)44 040 0168, pekka.vaisanen@dna.fi

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 (0)44 044 8000, viestinta@dna.fi

More information about our 5G network: www.dna.fi/5G