Baby boomers may not be as young as they once were, but their bandwidth demands match those of younger generations and service providers should be aware.
Age-of-use is becoming an outdated concept and ease-of-use will be the future trend, according to Prentics. Companies know who spends and it shows in design. A 2014 article, “Baby Boomers aren’t Tech Novices,” effectively states, “It is interesting to consider that the reason for the high shift to icons, strong colors and defined borders in app development and system controls might be because of the boomer generation.” This could very well be the case, because the fact is that digital and physical technology is becoming increasingly connected and user friendly. Along with things like wearable technology (think workout trackers that send results to your computer) and smart cars (that turn on/off by themselves, integrate Wi-Fi and even drive themselves), smart buildings and connected homes seamlessly connect to the cloud to make life easier for all ages.
In a recent survey conducted by CommScope, nearly half of boomers are looking forward to intelligent home systems that can adjust temperature and lighting based on activity. The top three things boomers (working/retired) said they couldn’t go without are electricity (71%/71%), connectivity/access to the internet (44%/42%) and plumbing (40%/44%), so having a smart home appeals to them.
A 2015 Smart Home Market Place survey conducted by Coldwell Banker, found almost half (45%) of all Americans either own smart home technology or plan on investing in this technology in 2016. Of this, more than one in three (36%) would not consider themselves early adopters of technology. Older generations are buying into certain smart home features ahead of millennials. Forty percent of those over age 65 have smart temperature products in their homes, compared to only 25% of millennials. The top home features considered to be a “smart” are: security (locks and alarm systems); temperature; lighting; and safety (fire/carbon monoxide detectors). The current most popular feature that was already installed was smart entertainment, followed by smart security and smart temperature.
Another cloud-based smart technology that especially appeals to older generations is health-based. I asked Steve Friedman, part of the boomer generation and an attorney with the CommScope legal team, if he uses any technology to monitor workouts and showed me a Nike+ tracker that he inserts into his running shoes. This chip can plug into his Apple iPod and there is an app that programs and tracks his runs. He can set music to go with his programmed run and the app notifies him of his progress during the run. “I love being untethered,” Friedman noted. About one-third of boomers would love to learn more about clothing and devices that monitor health and provide fitness analytics and user recommendations. Boomers are highly optimistic about their health, according to a May 2014 Merrill Lynch study, “Health and Retirement: Planning for the Great Unknown,” when compared to their parents’ generation. Boomers are four-times more likely to actively research health information (79% vs. 18%) and nearly 80% expect their generation will be healthy and active at the age of 75.
Exercise monitors, like the Fitbit, are already popular for counting steps throughout the day, and helping wearers stay on track with healthy habits by monitoring food, weight and sleep. The AARP is interested in getting fitness trackers in the hands of more senior citizens. Confirmed by Project Catalyst – a recent study with Georgia Tech, AARP, MedStar Health, Pfizer and United Healthcare – America’s older generation wants to use fitness trackers, and 67% of respondents found trackers like Fitbit, Jawbone, and other brands helpful. Even more respondents would like the trackers to “easily measure biometric data such as blood sugar and heart rate.”
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 25% of Americans over the age of 60 have diabetes and complications from this disease can impair quality of life. New monitors to track blood sugar levels are more sensitive and require less blood. For example, the Bee tracker transmits insulin injection and blood sugar data via Bluetooth Smart to a smartphone or tablet and in fact was named by CES as one of their Innovation Award honorees. Additional smart technologies that are being recognized in the industry as impacting health care include Validic’s VitalSnap, a “new mobile technology enabling real-time health data transfer from nonconnected devices to health care organizations.”
Boomers want to take charge of their health and homes, they are interested in new technology and have the money to invest. Dennis Krampotich, an engineer at CommScope, is admittedly tech-savvy since he has a background in running his own computer business. His tech interest is not just at work – he regularly Skypes his son and granddaughter who are stationed overseas in Germany; he is a hobby photographer who uploads and shares photos with a Dropbox app on his phone; and he has a 3D printer at home with computer aided design software. Krampotich uses the printer for lots of projects, including engineering and printing replacement Fitbit HR clasps for friends. He also has produced 3D-printed designs for snowboards, toys and even a suet feeder improvement project. Things have become easier with technology, but Krampotich wants less devices. Ideally, he would like to do everything on his phone. With a market that is becoming increasingly led by ease-of-use technology, instead of age-ism, service providers need to keep up the pace and flexibility of bandwidth to sustain the greatest generation’s increasing demand on technological advances.
CommScope’s study shows about half (46%) of baby boomers would like to decide when they get faster/slower speeds and bundled services is a priority for them when deciding on a wireless carrier plan. So what does this mean for service providers? Service providers should understand the usage and demand of baby boomers to create new and innovative service packages to meet their needs. In addition, they would benefit from high-bandwidth, cost-effective networks to meet the quality, reliability and flexibility demands of the boomers.
The impact of the boomer generation continues to force change in the way we think and the services offered. With three living generations – boomers, Generation X and millennials – we see the impact on networks and connectivity becoming even more significant in the next couple of years.
Melissa Strait is an administrative assistant for the Office of CTO at CommScope. Strait has a background of 10 years in writing about arts, culture and the Twin Cities community and is excited to foray into broadband network solutions and wireless technology. Under her maiden name Slachetka, she held the title of freelance journalist, book reviewer and newspaper editor until she decided to take the title of “Mrs.” by marrying a graphic designer and starting a family.
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