Wireless home networks are now commonplace in many global markets, according to new research from Strategy Analytics (http://www.strategyanalytics.com). By the end of 2011, 439 million households worldwide had installed home Wi-Fi networks, equivalent to 25% of all households.

This report predicts that the total worldwide number of Wi-Fi households will reach nearly 800 million in 2016, a penetration rate of 42% Which shows that Apple still has plenty of opportunities to sell lots of Time Capsules, AirPort Extremes and AirPort Expresses.

South Korea, where broadband networks are almost ubiquitous, had the highest Wi-Fi household penetration in the world in 2011. On the other hand, even though China’s Wi-Fi network penetration stood at only 25% in 2011, it will become the main growth driver in the global Wi-Fi home market over the next five years, adding another 110 million Wi-Fi households by 2016.

"Developed broadband markets are currently the leading countries in terms of Wi-Fi household penetration," says Jia Wu, senior analyst, Connected Home Devices, Strategy Analytics. "However, because of its population size, China already has the highest number of Wi-Fi households in the world, followed by USA and Japan.”

Wi-Fi has become a mainstream wireless technology which provides Internet access at home to a wide variety of consumer electronics and mobile devices. Coupled with the proliferation of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, the continued expansion of broadband services provides a solid foundation for further growth in home Wi-Fi adoption.

-- Dennis Sellers