MDU broadband is no longer about just raw connectivity. It’s about integrating broadband with property technology to provide an integrated experience for each resident. 

Gone are the days of abiding by an installation window. An MDU customer expects to get service immediately.

Besides providing seamless coverage throughout each unit and across the community, MDU broadband is also a foundation for controlling locks, thermostats, and other smart devices.

For example, GFiber is leveraging Wi-Fi 7 technology and Smart Home connectivity to provide a personal network for each resident at Pacifica Place, offering additional property capabilities via its partnership with Quext.

Brownfield opportunity, challenge

While Greenfield developments get all of the attention, the size of the Brownfield market makes it an ideal market to compete for MDU broadband.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 23 million U.S. households live in Brownfield multi-apartment or MDUs. 

Equipping brownfield units with all fiber has challenges in terms of cost and access to pathways for new wiring. Service providers can enhance an existing building’s wiring to deliver broadband, leveraging solutions from Calix, Harmonic, InCoax, and Positron.

But serving brownfield properties is not just about technology. It is also a digital equity issue, particularly in economically challenged communities.

Older buildings face connectivity issues due to outdated internal wiring. The Massachusetts Residential Retrofit Program provides funding for broadband retrofits in public and affordable housing developments statewide.

Comcast, for example, announced earlier this year that it is upgrading its broadband infrastructure in public and affordable housing properties in Boston, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lowell, Somerville and Springfield, through the Residential Retrofit Program.

Competitors’ proactive approach

Given the potential of MDU broadband, it would be easy to imagine that the incumbents (cable and telco) own the entire MDU market.

Yes, incumbents had a head start since they had been wiring up existing buildings for decades. Still, a growing crop of competitive MDU-focused providers like Dojo Networks, Pavlov Media, Zentro and others are finding a niche in MDUs.

Maravedis noted in a Calix blog post that while property owners note internet access is a key amenity, only 29% would recommend their current provider. This issue plays into the hands of competitors like Zentro.

Zentro monitors customer experience and assigns a dedicated account manager to each property it serves. Also, Zentro can troubleshoot resident connectivity issues, freeing up property managers.

However, incumbents aren’t lying down. AT&T and Verizon’s acquisitions of Lumen and Frontier, as well as Charter's pending deal with Cox, will give these providers an even deeper MDU footprint.

Regardless of the provider, the message is clear: MDU broadband is about creating a positive experience for the property owner and each resident with a proactive approach.