Tl;dr

WiredScore conducted a research report on the importance of connectivity in homes in June 2021 and identified the professional, social, and educational impacts of poor connectivity.
The survey found that 86% of renters in North America face Wi-Fi connectivity issues despite paying an average of $744 per year for their home internet service.
Poor Wi-Fi connectivity leads to an additional cost of $337 per year due to the use of extra mobile data.
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the need for seamless connectivity in homes.
As the Senior PM, I developed and launched WiredScore Home to assess homes for digital connectivity and smart capabilities, scaling the product across 10 countries in North America, EMEA, and the UK.

Intro

As the Senior Product Manager for WiredScore, I was tasked with addressing the growing need for high-quality internet connectivity in people's homes, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research commissioned by WiredScore in June 2021 showed that a staggering 86% of renters across North America faced Wi-Fi connectivity issues, leading to an average of 20 service breakdowns per month despite paying an average of $744 per year for their home internet service. The research report highlighted the impact of poor connectivity on various areas, including professional, social, and educational aspects of people's lives.

Problem statement

The research findings showed that there was a clear need for reliable and high-quality internet connectivity in homes. WiredScore had developed an assessment for digital connectivity and smart buildings in the commercial office space industry but the features and user needs in the residential market were unique. As the Senior Product Manager my role was to develop a new product to address this new market and be ready to go to market for our launch in 3 months

Approach

To address this problem, I led a team to conduct global UX research and identify the pain points of for renters and homeowners in connectivity and smart home needs. We developed WiredScore Home, a product to address the unique needs of the residential market. WiredScore Home provided an assessment that enabled developers to showcase their properties' connectivity and smart technology capabilities, providing renters and homeowners with information on the quality of the internet connection and potential additional services available in the property.

We launched the product in North America, EMEA, and the UK, scaling it across 10 countries. We partnered with property developers, managers, and agents to provide WiredScore Home certification, providing an industry standard for digital connectivity in homes.

Impact

WiredScore Home had a significant impact on the industry, providing a clear indication of the quality of internet connectivity available in a property. Property developers and managers could use the certification to differentiate their properties, attracting tech-savvy renters and homeowners who valued reliable and high-quality connectivity.

WiredScore Home also had a positive impact on renters and homeowners, providing them with essential information on the quality of internet connectivity available in a property, and helping them to make informed decisions when selecting a home. The product provided greater transparency in the rental and homeownership process, helping to reduce the disruptions and additional costs associated with poor connectivity.

Learnings

The launch of WiredScore Home taught us the unique traits and user needs of the residential versus the commercial market
This experience taught us the importance of conducting global research as user needs and demands varied market to market

Improving Global Home Connectivity