Eight government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission, have jointly released an action plan designed to stimulate spending on smart home products and services. This initiative is part of a broader effort to implement central government policies and fulfill objectives outlined in the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan. The plan specifically targets enriching smart home scenarios, supporting the retrofitting of older residences for senior citizens, and facilitating intelligent system upgrades. By broadening the availability of high-quality products, the government aims to cater to the diverse needs of various consumer groups and further invigorate the smart home market.
The plan outlines a comprehensive strategy to expand the supply of superior smart home offerings. It encourages manufacturers to intensify research and development, in line with efforts to cultivate industrial chain scenarios for digital homes. Retail environments like home furnishing malls and shopping centers are being urged to establish experience hubs and model rooms for whole-home intelligence and digital living. Concurrently, the plan promotes the growth of large, reputable renovation companies and service platforms that offer personalized and diverse decoration packages, with a strong emphasis on custom, order-based, and appointment-based services. A key focus is also placed on accelerating the development of smart home software, hardware, and integrated solutions built upon domestic open-source operating systems.
Recognizing the need for standardization, the action plan calls for a robust and well-defined evaluation system for the intelligence levels of smart home devices. This includes the swift implementation of mandatory national standards for device interconnectivity, aiming to foster seamless integration across entire homes. The plan also directs basic telecommunications companies to have home broadband network equipment enable IPv6 by default, thereby enhancing home network connectivity. For newly constructed, fully-furnished residences, requirements will be established for the installation of essential smart products, with encouragement for the deployment of fiber optic cabling to individual rooms. Furthermore, work will continue on the development and application of key standards for smart communities and residences.
To directly boost consumer spending, the plan aligns with the 2026 consumer goods trade-in policy. Local governments will be supported in autonomously and sensibly determining the categories and subsidy rates for smart home products, within the bounds of their specific situations. This approach is designed to coordinate support for the purchase of new whole-home smart systems and individual items, making them more accessible and affordable for consumers.
A significant portion of the plan is dedicated to the development of age-friendly smart home products tailored for the elderly. This involves promoting items such as home service robots, health monitoring devices, and intelligent care systems. Companies are being guided to integrate age-appropriate design principles into their products, focusing on user-friendly dimensions, operational simplicity, dialect recognition capabilities, and enhanced safety features. The goal is to enrich the market with diverse, suitable smart home offerings and renovation services for the aging population, potentially including a certification program for these specific products.
The plan also addresses the crucial aspect of recycling and waste management for old home furnishings. Local authorities are instructed to plan for a scientifically sound network of recycling points for used household items, incorporating these into relevant urban planning and providing necessary land and spatial support. Cooperation between home furnishing and renovation companies and recycling firms will be encouraged to offer services like "delivery of new items plus collection of old" and "internet plus recycling." The adoption of mobile recycling models, which use vehicles as mobile drop-off points, will also be promoted to streamline the process for consumers.
Enhancing community-level convenience services is another pillar of the strategy. By leveraging the construction of 15-minute convenience living circles and engaging leading enterprises, the plan aims to establish comprehensive home renovation service stations in suitable neighborhoods and communities. These stations will integrate a range of affordable and convenient services, including maintenance, repair, item storage, and recycling or exchange, while also serving as immersive spaces for experiencing whole-home intelligence.
In a move to strengthen financial support, the plan encourages financial institutions to develop a wider variety of consumer finance products and services tailored to home furnishing and renovation needs. It also highlights the use of existing fiscal subsidy policies for interest on personal consumer loans. Financial bodies will be guided to increase lending support for smart home purchases, thereby actively backing consumers who wish to buy related products and services. This comprehensive approach, spanning supply, standards, consumer incentives, and financial backing, represents a coordinated effort to cultivate a thriving smart home ecosystem.