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
“In these distribution partnerships, the service benefits from having a greater content library without incurring production costs,” said Eric Sorensen, who runs the streaming video tracker for resear...
“It’s a challenging time for service providers to make the money work,” said Elizabeth Parks, president of Parks Associates. “It makes sense that there will be a lot of consolidation in the market. We...
Twenty percent of U.S. internet households own a TV antenna, according to research firm Parks Associates’ ATSC 3.0: Impact and Opportunity for Video Services industry report. It also found that 12% mo...
While consolidation might seem obvious given the challenges in the market, it will likely take longer than most people think, Parks Associates analyst Eric Sorensen told IBD. That's because of a host...
