Good, Better, Best: Provider Wi-Fi Programs Explained

Telecom service offerings in multifamily continue to transform to meet the demands of today’s residents. We want to take the opportunity to update an article we’ve previously posted with the latest provider offerings and to educate our clients about relatively new products you may begin to hear about in our industry.  

Wi-Fi is truly the unsung hero of holding the modern household together. From streaming TV and working from home, to powering your smart thermostat or Roomba – Wi-Fi is a must-have. Under a traditional choice model where the owner may or may not have a marketing agreement in place with the telecom provider, each resident is purchasing their own wireless modem or renting it from the provider themselves. However, there are many other categories of owner-sponsored Wi-Fi that help your properties and residents stay connected:

Internet Ready – a no-cost option, this is a Wi-Fi router set up in the apartment providing added convenience when a new resident moves in, they can connect and sign up for services in minutes without a technician appointment or picking up equipment.

In Unit Modem-Based Wi-Fi – traditionally referred to as bulk Internet, with this option there is no construction, in-unit access or capital expense to […]

By |2024-08-28T11:09:59-06:00August 28th, 2024|

Net Neutrality: The Comeback Kid

By: Erin Stanley

Net neutrality is a fundamental principle ensuring that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) treat all Internet traffic equally. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a sweeping order preventing ISPs from blocking, selectively speeding up, slowing down, or prioritizing internet traffic. Just two years later, in 2017, the policy was repealed.  However, it has once again become a focal point of U.S. regulatory policy. In 2024, the FCC reinstated strict net neutrality rules marking a significant return to the initially established regulations in 2015.

RealtyCom aims to educate our clients about net neutrality. However, it takes time to have a significant impact on the types of services and marketing agreements which we advise our clients on. To understand its impact, let’s revisit the arguments for and against net neutrality:

For Net Neutrality: Key Arguments Against Net Neutrality: Key Arguments
Preservation of Open Internet, Promotion of Innovation and Competition: Proponents argue that net neutrality is crucial for maintaining an open and fair Internet, where all online content is treated equally. Without these regulations, ISPs could prioritize […]
By |2024-08-26T13:49:19-06:00August 26th, 2024|

FCC Regulations

Potential FCC Regulation: Ban on Bulk Billing

On March 5th, the FCC office of media relations released a statement that FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel had announced “a plan to lower costs and address the lack of choice for broadband services available to households in apartments, condos, public housing, and other multi-tenant buildings.” The release alludes to plans by the FCC to regulate further and potentially ban bulk billing arrangements that do not allow residents to opt-out of such an arrangement.

RealtyCom Partners is tracking this situation and plans to review in detail any Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is issued pursuant to this FCC announcement. RealtyCom has a history of leading and participating in comments to various past FCC rulemaking procedures.

While not all service providers that typically provide bulk billing services currently have a methodology for individual resident opt-out, RealtyCom is in discussions with providers on how they are and will respond to this potential rulemaking.

RealtyCom Partners stands alongside the signatories of the letter addressed to The White House, urging law makers and the FCC to preserve broadband bulk billing agreements. Instituting a ban on these agreements would negatively impact residents and discourage investments in broadband service. We extend our gratitude […]

By |2024-08-07T11:58:57-06:00July 30th, 2024|
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