How will Australian homes change as we become more connected?

Australian households are rapidly increasing their use of Internet-connected applications. From using a tablet to control what we see on our Smart TVs to storing our collective family photos on a cloud; our app-etite for internet connectivity is ever expanding.

A new research paper by Telsyte and commissioned by nbn, Internet Uninterrupted: Australian Households of the Connected Future, has uncovered five modern household archetypes that each use multiple connected devices in the home in different ways.

See where you fit in the big picture, because by understanding how we currently connect, we can see how a faster internet connection could make life much easier.

The Shared Household

Aussies who co-habit with friends, family and other people who are heavy users of the Internet, but on a budget.

They tend to own fewer devices than other Australians.

However, what they lack in number of devices, they make up for in terms of Internet usage — especially their consumption of catch-up TV and streaming video.

In 2020, Shared Households could have an average of 12 applications running simultaneously at peak times, up from eight today. 

The City Living Household

Highly social Aussie couples who do not have children, and have embraced technology to support their active and untethered lifestyles.

With potentially two incomes and no children, they are in a good position to invest in new devices and are very reliant on mobile technology, which they access not only when they are out and about but also when they are at home.

In 2020, City Living Households could have an average of 15 applications running simultaneously at peak times, up from 11 today.

The Hectic Household

Aussie parents who are career focused and have children living at home.

They own many of the lounge room entertainment devices that inevitably bring the household together.

They consume and own technology that contributes to their home and work life alike, with dedicated spaces and devices for their work and heavy usage of cloud storage and related services. 

In 2020, Hectic Households could have an average of 19 applications running simultaneously at peak times, up from 12 today.

Suburban Dreamer Household

Parents with children living at home who tend to leave work at the office.

The few short hours between the time everyone gets and the time the children go to bed are the busiest for Internet usage, with everyone often online for learning and play at the same time.

In 2020, Suburban Dreamer Households could have an average of 13 applications running simultaneously, up from seven in 2015.

Empty Nester Household

Older Aussie couples or families without children in the home.

They have embraced technology to get things done – although not always with the latest devices.

While they may be the last to take up technology, this doesn’t mean they avoid it, and in fact they embrace it.

The range of technologies they use is narrower than other households, however their use of the technology they do have is high. In 2020, Empty Nester Households could have an average of nine applications running simultaneously, up from six in 2015.

While we all connect in different ways, the one thing we have in common is the need for a fast connection.

The nbn™ network will help households continue to learn and grow with technology, allowing people to live they lives they want, no matter who they are.

Check your address to see if you can connect to the nbn™ network.