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
"Smart home services will become a mandatory part of home insurance in the future," said Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates. "Insurance companies in Europe and North America have ex...
According to a report released July, Parks Associates found that 59 percent of U.S. broadband households subscribe to Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. Netflix’s deals with pay TV companies helped it surpa...
The market research firm Parks Associates estimates that as many as 16 million North American households will have smart-home security by 2021, compared with 10 million forecast for traditional securi...
The hottest smart-home purchase this holiday season is likely to be a smart video doorbell. As many as 14% of U.S. households with broadband access say they're pretty likely to buy the device that...
