Place yourself in the shoes of a typical college
student: You've invested in a brand new
computer because you know you’ll need it for taking notes, writing papers and
doing research throughout the upcoming semester. Increasingly, your professors
are also sending you online for more and more required coursework – often
including exams!
You’re ecstatic because there’s nothing better than doing
coursework in the comfort of your own apartment. But, then you suddenly remember
how spotty your internet is at your apartment complex. The joy quickly fades as
you realize that, undoubtedly, you’ll have to walk back to campus to get a signal
strong and steady enough to take the test or complete the assignment. Few
things are more frustrating than your internet fading and kicking you out of a
secure session.
So, as a property developer, what options do you
have to provide the quality of service expected by these student tenants? When everyone in your apartment complex is frustrated
by the speed or quality of the internet connection, there is only one thing to
do: provide a faster, better connection. Student tenants should be able to depend on
this; In fact, internet speed has become the most important technological
amenity for students as well as third most important amenity for any
demographic according to Multifamily Executive Magazine. Students are doubling internet usage every
two years.
J Turner Research polled students and found that
86% use the internet for more than three hours per day. They also found that
students connect to the internet with more than three devices, which means it
may often seem that more people are living at your apartment complex than
actually do! Just like cell phone
service is expected, internet speed is becoming the same way. It is leading
students to “shop around” for internet connections when looking for an
apartment, because it’s now a required amenity -- much like a dishwasher or
cable TV.
Understanding the necessity of this service is
the first step, but a close second step is understanding the variety of
cost-effective options available to you as a leading property developer. Options such as FTTATM -- “Fiber
to the Apartment” -- can greatly increase occupancy and retention by providing
a level of service that meets the residents’ expectations.
