SMARTER OPERATIONS Along with community-wide Wi-Fi connectivity, The Lofts at Front Street includes smart home features such as locks, thermostats and lights. “It’s very important to find a provider that has experience so you can get the right kind of network for your prop -erty,” emphasizes Myers. “Going with a company that doesn’t know what it’s doing, or going with one that has the cheap -est price can be a costly mistake down the line. DAN MYERS Finding a skilled, experi -DojoNetworks enced operator can help you avoid making that mistake.” “Owner-operators should carefully consider the time and resources it takes to design and maintain a high-performing, reliable network and choose a provider that has a verifiable track record of excellence in deploying prop -erty-managed Wi-Fi solutions and supporting the network and its users,” says Keith Dardis, senior vice president of Spectrum Community Solutions, a Stamford, Connecticut-based com -pany that provides internet connectivity solu -tions to multifamily properties. “In addition to focusing on a financially stable provider with a reliable network, it is just as im -portant to understand the expertise and repu -tation of a provider’s customer service team when residents need help,” adds Dardis. “Good customer service keeps residents out of the leas -ing office.” Without sufficient bandwidth, residents who want to engage in information-heavy activities like streaming videos or playing online video games may unintentionally bog down the net -work for other tenants. Some properties are also simply better suited to support managed Wi-Fi than others — and some networks are better suited to certain types of communities than others. “Newly construct -ed buildings are very straightforward when it comes to implementing Wi-Fi because it’s easy to plan for and put the infrastructure in place,” states Dale Sennie, a di -rector of innovative tech -nology at The Breeden Co., a development and management company DALE SENNIE headquartered in Vir -The Breeden Co. ginia Beach, Virginia. Breeden has owned, managed and developed approximately 20,000 apartments across the United States. “It’s tough to deploy Wi-Fi connectivity in po -dium-style developments,” Sennie adds. “Since podium and high-rise buildings are enclosed, there can be a lot of interference and overlap. Comparatively, garden-style communities don’t tend to get that level of inference due to their open style of architecture. It’s easier to retrofit a garden-style asset because areas such as attics and outside spaces tend to be a lot easier to ac -cess.” But Caroline Brown, head of marketing and business development at SmartWAVE Technol -ogies, contends that deploying Wi-Fi at garden-style properties can sometimes be more difficult precisely because of the more open style of ar -chitecture. SmartWAVE is an Alpharetta, Geor -gia-based company that plans and integrates wireless networks. “Garden-style assets require outdoor engi -neering,” points out Brown. “Being able to wan -der from inside your apartment to the hallways and out to the amenity spaces without losing your connection is a really valuable perk, but it definitely requires a more complex design than if you were to just deploy everything inside of the same building.” Although it is certainly doable to retrofit a community with a property-wide Wi-Fi net -work, planning is oftentimes more straightfor -ward when it comes to ground-up develop -ments. After all, it’s easiest to plan to establish the necessary infrastructure — such as running cables and installing equipment — while de -signs for the development are still being drawn. “Retrofitting a com -munity with Wi-Fi con -nectivity is typically more straightforward in communities with more modern infrastructure and building materials,” explains Richard Lyda, a wireless architect at Ho -twire Communications, a fiber-optic internet ser -vice provider based in RICHARD LYDA Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hotwire “This process would Communications be more clear-cut if the community had existing infrastructure, such as fiber-optic cabling,” continues Lyda. “If a community’s infrastructure consists of older technology, like coaxial cable, that would require more extensive modifications. Other obstacles may arise in larger communities or those with extensive outdoor space and older infrastructure that may interfere with wireless signals.” www.MultifamilyAffordableHousing.com Implementing Wi-Fi Choosing the right ISP is important, but so is selecting the right network. For example, im -plementing a Wi-Fi network without sufficient bandwidth can result in performance issues. A large property with a high number of tenants will have more people using the network simul -taneously, which will require more bandwidth. 20 | Southeast Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business | January/February 2024
Southeast Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business January / February 2024: Page 20
