Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) resident satisfaction and profitability are not mutually exclusive. In fact, with managed Wi-Fi, the property owner of a 100- subscriber property could expect an extra $24,000 to $60,000 in net operating income (NOI) annually.
Property owners who take control of the Wi-Fi find themselves able to deliver secure and consistently reliable online experiences across the entire property. Offering exceptional online experiences to their tenants translates into higher occupancy, lower churn, and increased tenant satisfaction.
Tenants can easily use their devices in their units, the laundry rooms, social areas, outdoor pools, and patios. Furthermore, the same infrastructure and secure networks are being leveraged for smart-property technologies to optimize operations – controllable sprinkler systems, security surveillance, access systems, door locks, climate controls and others.
Questions to Ask Before Signing a Contract
Prioritize the User Experience
Before going to contract, determine whether each tenant will have a private and secure Wi-Fi in their home, as well as anywhere on the site. Also, do your homework and find whether there been any measurable improvement in resident trouble reports with Wi-Fi. Lastly, how easy is it to add a new device or a guest user?
Understand Wi-Fi Technology
When it comes to deploying technology solutions, it’s wise to master the details ahead of time. Figure out how many Wi-Fi access points you’ll need to provide coverage. Make sure to check whether the solution will support the requisite number of security cameras, sensors, and controls. Finally, calculate how much it’s going to cost to employ enough IT people to maintain quality service.
Quantify the Business Impact
This is a long-term investment that ought to pay off over time. Consult with other property owners who have deployed this exact architecture in similar properties. Reach out to residents for feedback. Ultimately, they’re the ones who use the service and what they have to say is worth its weight in gold.
Select the Right Service Provider
Here is where you need to perform due diligence to find a fitting partner to deploy the solution. As you vet the candidates, ask whether they have specific experience in providing managed Wi-Fi in new and existing buildings. Does the provider offer design, installation and management services?
Why MDU Wi-Fi is Different
While Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere, designing connectivity for an MDU is significantly different from providing Wi-Fi in a single-family residence or a traditional enterprise business. Just putting one Wi-Fi access point in each unit or stringing them down the hallway creates problems that will leave the residents and property owners unsatisfied.
Managed Wi-Fi offers a private Wi-Fi bubble for residents. Unlike a traditional residential or conventional enterprise model, residents have private, secure, and personal Wi-Fi with elf-service sign up that is available on day 1 when they move in. They also have coverage across the entire property using a pre shared key (PSK).
The property owner has a connectivity solution that eliminates Wi-Fi interference. They also have an infrastructure that enables connectivity for smart building initiatives including security cameras, locks, and light controls. In addition, the property management has access to remote diagnostics and can have a comprehensive view of system performance.
Consider Architecture Options
Cambium Networks’ solution paper, “Take Control of Your MDU Network” paper outlines alternative architectures and includes views property owners and integrators including GiGstreem, RG Nets, Ntiva, and Safety NetAccess. Download the paper here.
About Cambium Networks
Cambium Networks delivers wireless communications that work for businesses, communities, and cities worldwide. Millions of our radios are deployed to connect people, places and things with a unified wireless fabric that spans multiple standards and frequencies of fixed wireless and Wi-Fi, all managed centrally via the cloud. Our multi-gigabit wireless fabric offers a compelling value proposition over traditional fiber and alternative wireless solutions. We work with our Cambium certified ConnectedPartners to deliver purpose-built networks for service provider, enterprise, industrial, and government connectivity solutions in urban, suburban, and rural environments, with wireless that just works.
