A majority (82%) of multi-dwelling units (MDUs) over 10 years old report internet connectivity challenges, according to a recent study from Comcast’s Xfinity Communities in collaboration with Parks Associates.
Issues include maintaining device connections over a Wi-Fi network and insufficient bandwidth, which can be difficult to fix due to the infrastructure of older apartment buildings, said Jennifer Kent, VP of research at Parks Associates.
She explained that unlike newer MDUs, these buildings were built without suitable wiring or the infrastructure to run new wiring. Older MDUs may have thicker walls or various types of building materials.
“So they might be looking at the cost of having to run all new wire throughout the building…which is obviously very cost-intensive,” she said.
According to Kent, apartment residents that pay for internet as part of their rent or through their property manager tend to spend less than those with a retail plan. Parks Associates found MDU residents with a bulk internet arrangement pay around $40 per month, compared to $64 per month for retail internet.
Parks Associates noted these figures are “standalone” service prices, meaning these are residents who don’t have add-ons like pay TV or mobile bundled with their internet.
From the article, "Old apartment buildings have some big broadband infrastructure problems" by Masha Abarinova
Parks Associates’ Smart Home Dashboard, quarterly consumer research featuring surveys of US internet households, finds 45 per cent of US internet households have at least one smart home device and 18...
At NAB Show today, Parks Associates released new research, The Viewer Journey: Navigating Streaming Options, revealing U.S. Internet households now consume 43.5 hours of video per week on average acro...
While at Quickplay, Drake was named a Top Leader in Technology by Parks Associates and he helped the firm earn the distinction of being named a Google Media Industry Partner of the Year for two consec...
Parks Associates, a leading market research and consulting firm, has announced significant findings about those streaming content in their latest study, “The Viewer Journey: Navigating Streaming Optio...
