Broadband Technology Report recently reported on the WiFi Alliance's effort to ensure excellent WiFi in new home builds by creating specifications. But admittedly that effort addresses the issue in only one type of residence. The industry also is working on solving issues in existing single-family homes and in multiple dwelling units (MDUs), where renters are free to seek more technologically friendly waters at the end of their rental agreement.
"Property owners are more focused than ever on technology decisions. How can they stay competitive with other properties in the market?" said Mike Slovin, VP of Xfinity Communities at Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
Comcast recently conducted a survey indicating that 87% of renters listed technology as playing an extremely or very important role in satisfaction. As property managers weigh competing options, parts of the equation need to be infrastructure investment, ROI and network disruption, Slovin said. DOCSIS 3.1, therefore, provides cable operators with an inherent advantage.
Cable is able to provide MDUs with gigabit speeds without having to change the existing infrastructure.
"As long as Xfinity is on the property when we launch 3.1 in a market … and the majority of our footprint should be launched with gigabit speeds by the end of this year … they can (implement gigabit) with the swap of a modem. Any resident will be able to get it," Slovin said.
Another piece to the puzzle is meeting the demand for WiFi access around the property in common areas. Residents increasingly are asking property owners and developers to have an always on, property-wide approach.
"This changes the onus from resident to the property owner to put in managed gateways and have WiFi service within the property," Slovin said.
The property can buy service on behalf of all units. When a resident wants to subscribe, staff can provide access through an administration portal to a certain level of service. If a resident wants to upgrade, he or she can do so directly through Comcast.
In many instances, a property will have a community account representative to assist residents and the manager. Xfinity stores also are cropping up, whereby someone can go to a physical location to see and experience products and discuss needs with a representative. However, there also is always online access, Slovin said.
"If you are a millennial and want to order at 2 a.m., you can," he said. "There are multiple ways to interact."
Other amenities that could be a technology sell for residents include the ability to offer guest access to visitors without having to give them a password. They can log in, similar to the process at a hotel, or they are automatically logged in if they are Xfinity customers. Additionally, there is a management piece that allows residents to manage devices from an app.
"If you want to get your kids' attention at dinner, you can turn off WiFi service for an hour," Slovin said.