O2 UK Forecloses Smart Home Biz

O2 UK is closing the door of its smart home offering after customers shunned the service.

Since the Telefónica-owned provider began selling its smart-home solution in September 2016, the service did not reach undisclosed targets, according to reports in European Communications. To be successful, O2 UK required "category-leading take-up," Telefónica said in a statement.

However, that did not happen. Limited adoption is not restricted to O2. The United Kingdom is only at the early stages of smart-home adoption, Gartner determined in mid-2017. In a Deloitte survey, 48% of British consumers owned no smart home solutions.

While 28% owned a smart TV and 26% claimed a games console, a measly 3% said they used a surveillance security system. Another 3% relied on a connected thermostat, and 2% enjoyed connected lighting, the Deloitte report said.

And, as Broadband World News' current Flash Poll (below) discusses, service providers are not alone in their desire to dominate smart homes:

		The battle over the smart home is heating up, as cable operators and telcos want to leverage their almost ubiquitous residential footprint into control over Internet of Things devices designed to make households more efficient, convenient and enjoyable. Simultaneously, web-scale giants such as Amazon and Google, along with vendors like Apple and Samsung, are upping the ante with increasingly popular hub products. Who will win the battle?   Cable companies: They already own entertainment, Internet, home WiFi and have expanded into security and more   Telcos: Their investments in content, home WiFi and 5G will pay off in smart homes   A mix of cablecos and telcos: The communications industry will split the market   Amazon and Google: Alexa is everywhere   Apple, Samsung, GM and other vendors: When Apple wants something, it gets it - and Samsung's always there too   Startups that have yet to make an impact: Nobody's yet doing a great job   Vertical services such as insurance, security, healthcare: Each IoT device is too specialized for one type of provider   Nobody: It'll be a mix of providers, each owning a small percentage   Other: Please describe in comments

Perhaps unsurprisingly then in view of the nation's big picture, O2 decided to close the service in November 2017 and told subscribers in December. The service had enabled customers to control multiple Internet of Things (IoT) smart home devices via a management app. Despite the shut down of the service, consumers' associated devices will work independently, without the app.

The British operator will remain active in other IoT projects, including connected cars and smart meters, a spokesperson told European Communications.

Related posts:

• British Bulldogs Howl at Broadband Blues
• Consumers Pick Security Options in Smart Home Menu
• Comcast Constructs Smart Home Business

— Alison Diana, Editor, Broadband World News. Follow us on Twitter or @alisoncdiana.