In the last few years, we have seen a major shift in how we define the workplace. With a significant portion of the workforce transitioning to a work from home model, high speed internet access has become even more essential to the modern economy. The National Multifamily Housing Council has “found that fast, reliable broadband is one of the top priorities for tenants in markets across the country,” with the NMHC’s vice president of government affairs, Kevin Donnelly stating “that connectivity is no longer an amenity.”
As tenants demand high speed connectivity, apartment building owners and property managers have begun to transition to a managed wifi model, incorporating high speed internet service into the building features. Landlords have realized that they “can buy internet in bulk at their properties at far lower rates than individual users and charge a premium that still offers their tenants a discount to the consumer market.”
However, large internet service providers like Comcast are eager to protect their inflated margins and have continued to push contractual language that attempts to prevent building owners from adopting a bulk internet service. This hasn’t stopped building owners from challenging legacy contracts that no longer serve them to provide their residents with a superior, cost-effective internet service that generates revenue.
In addition to a cheaper, faster, and more reliable solution, residents are experiencing other advantages from a managed wifi service. Instead of having to sign a 1-2 year contract with a provider that punishes early termination and takes days or weeks to set up, apartment units are ready as soon as you move in. One less bill to manage each month is another convenient feature of the managed internet model.
With all but the large internet providers benefiting from managed wifi, and with a rising demand from both residents and building owners alike, a new era of internet service is on its way!