By: Phil Veletzos

On the eve of possible new rules from the FCC affecting bulk service agreements, RealtyCom Partners offers the following survey of recent State and Federal rules that may impact infrastructure, service provider negotiations, and operations in multifamily properties. This summary is based on our practical experience in the multiple dwelling unit (MDU) telecom, and technology industries. We are not attorneys and therefore this is not legal advice. We strongly recommend our clients consider relevant local laws that may impact broadband access deployment, and chargebacks–and to consider obtaining legal advice from a local attorney experienced with such matters. 

By:  Rush Blakely

This year, three RealtyCom team members attended the Broadband Communities Summit in The Woodlands, Texas. This annual event is designed for property owners and telecommunication service providers to meet and discuss strategies for delivering connectivity to communities across the country. If you were unable to attend we’ve recapped the most important topics discussed at the summit for you below.

FCC – Potential Regulation of Bulk Billing Agreements
As we alerted our clients in our March newsletter, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under a directive by The White House, is seeking to regulate bulk billing agreements in an effort to lower costs and address lack of choice in multifamily communities.  Many in our industry have been vocal against further regulation including property owners, the National Multifamily Housing Council, and the National Apartment Association. During several sessions at the 2024 Broadband Communities Summit, this topic was passionately discussed. ISP’s and providers agreed that regulation will harm residents and disincentivize investment in broadband services. It was clear that providers are concerned and are prepared to share their perspectives during the comment period following a […]

By:  Megan Jackson

Did you know that recent industry data suggests 20% of Service Provider contracts have payment errors, costing Owners tens of thousands in lost and missing revenue each year? This is hardly surprising considering the complexities inherent in contracts, property dispositions, and the dynamic nature of service provider processes. Recognizing this, RealtyCom’s Accounting Department meticulously reviews revenue share reports and agreements and then coordinates with the service provider organizations to rectify any issues.

Revenue assurance is a crucial component of RealtyCom’s portfolio management functions. We routinely audit every property with a revenue share agreement, to ensure our client has received all funds due from service providers. Of course, our goal is to ensure proper payment to our clients going forward, but we often discover variances that lead to further collection efforts. Here are a few examples of recent discoveries:

• During a portfolio audit over 64 agreements, we recovered $392k.
• We’ve successfully recovered $1.2M in funds relating to recent development projects of which 51% of the properties audited had errors resulting in tens of thousands of dollars […]