Monday, October 24, 2011

How Much Bandwidth Does Your Property Need for the "Internet of Things?"

So you think a 3Mb connection for each resident is sufficient? Maybe 5-10Mb if you have "tech-savvy" residents like students?

Sorry, that's just not going to cut it.

Take a look at the graphic below, shared by Cisco. (If there's any company that knows networking, it's them.) The money stat?

"By the end of 2011, 20 typical households will generate more Internet traffic than the entire Internet in 2008."

That's only three years ago, folks.

This goes way beyond websites and email ... the "Internet of Things" includes devices that have never been part of the network before (think appliances, access control systems, lighting systems, background music, sprinkler systems, etc.). Considering that the typical apartment community is often 200 households or more, that's a LOT of bandwidth. (Netflix usage alone can be enough to slow Internet speeds to a crawl at many properties.) If we assume that a fair number of these devices will be wireless, that's also a LOT of Wi-Fi spectrum getting pounded ... so be aware of potential interference issues. And all of this doesn't even account for any devices that property owners are installing to help properties run more efficiently.

The question is, what are you doing about it now to make sure you aren't losing these connected residents later? How are your ISP partners stepping up to help address potential bandwidth bottlenecks at your property? (Even if the numbers shared here don't pan out by the end of the year, it can't be that far off.)

I'd love to hear how you're planning for the "Internet of Things" and how it will affect multifamily (positively or negatively).

by visually via