
Cable Operators for Aging in Place – A Business Case
By Ian Wheelock (CommScope), Charles Cheevers (CommScope), Sudheer Dharanikota, Ayarah Dharanikota
October 12, 2020
What is the Problem?
Elderly population is going to double by 2060 reaching ~ 90 Million and will start growing faster than the < 18 year old from 2035. Their monthly costs are going through the roof. How can cable industry, with their technical and service excellence, assist this specific segment of customers?
Key Takeaways
We make the following recommendations to the Telecom operators:
- Develop partnerships with AIP specialists
- Offer high value services
- Repurpose devices to meet the elderly needs
Executive Summary
2020 has been a landmark year for humans. Never before has the human race been equipped with the technical capability to be able to handle dissecting data as well as innovation in finding cures and prevention to something like the coronavirus strains that now threaten the fabric of how we behave as a society. We are all locked in our homes and trusted areas of interaction with our fellow humans. No sector of humanity has been more affected by the pandemic than the elderly population. The virus itself affects those with compromised or weaker immune systems often. This not only brings our elderly population into the most vulnerable group but also now making elderly care homes possibly the most likely place to catch and spread a virus and contagion.
Even before our pandemic times, it was clear that Aging in Place (AIP) was a key area for new opportunities for Cable Operators to tap into. It is not only a huge improvement change for elderly lives but also a new source of high margin revenue for the Cable Operators. Lockdown at home has given everyone a taste of what it is like spending more time in your home and in particular the role of connectivity in our digital work and social lives. One could almost claim that the foundation pillar of AIP is connectivity. Thus, making it obvious that the Service Provider is in a unique position to open up the floodgates on a new de facto model for living out your life in your own home.
Key Words: Aging in Place, Elderly Care, Enhanced Connectivity, Integration Capabilities