Development

Multifamily residents want to take their internet connections with them beyond their unit’s four walls and throughout the complex. The National Multifamily Housing Council has found for years that 90 percent of renters say good internet access is a necessity. But the meaning of good connectivity has changed. “Ten, fifteen or twenty years ago, the most popular trend was cocooning — where people would go to work, come home and run into their apartment. They’d close the door, and you wouldn’t hear or see from them again until the next day,” says Bryan Rader, president of MDU at internet service provider Pavlov Media. “Today, multifamily renters spend more time around the community,” he continues. “Developers are playing to that lifestyle change by building amenities and encouraging residents to spend time together. Having a really strong managed Wi-Fi network that is safe, secure and authenticates the user is very valuable.” Put more simply, Wi-Fi within amenities is important to renters. Take fitness centers, for example. When was the last time you saw anyone on a treadmill without headphones relaying music from the internet through a phone or tablet? The move toward property-wide internet demand started in universities as students needed internet …