• by Chuck Martin , February 7, 2019

Many homes will be getting ‘smart’ this year, according to a new forecast by Parks Associates.

The leading planned purchase of smart home devices by U.S. broadband households is a smart doorbell, with 25% planning to purchase one in 2019.

Nearly as many (24%) of U.S. households plan to purchase a smart light bulb and 23% expect to purchase a smart thermostat.

The increasing number of connected devices is expected to further expand the amount of consumer data available, according to Parks.

"Data is a new and important form of currency in the IoT ecosystem, where AI and machine learning can unlock the value in data for a variety of players, including utilities and energy providers," stated Brad Russell, research director, connected home, at Parks Associates. "Our research shows consumers are generally uncomfortable with an outside party controlling their 'stuff,' but energy services built on consumer data can customize and personalize load control and other energy solutions to expand participation and save energy."

Other smart devices projected to be purchased in 2019 are network cameras (22%) and smart plugs (20%).