Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Old apartment buildings have some big broadband infrastructure problems

A majority (82%) of multi-dwelling units (MDUs) over 10 years old report internet connectivity challenges, according to a recent study from Comcast’s Xfinity Communities in collaboration with Parks Associates.

Issues include maintaining device connections over a Wi-Fi network and insufficient bandwidth, which can be difficult to fix due to the infrastructure of older apartment buildings, said Jennifer Kent, VP of research at Parks Associates.

She explained that unlike newer MDUs, these buildings were built without suitable wiring or the infrastructure to run new wiring. Older MDUs may have thicker walls or various types of building materials.

“So they might be looking at the cost of having to run all new wire throughout the building…which is obviously very cost-intensive,” she said.

Average internet spending MDUsAccording to Kent, apartment residents that pay for internet as part of their rent or through their property manager tend to spend less than those with a retail plan. Parks Associates found MDU residents with a bulk internet arrangement pay around $40 per month, compared to $64 per month for retail internet.

Parks Associates noted these figures are “standalone” service prices, meaning these are residents who don’t have add-ons like pay TV or mobile bundled with their internet.

From the article, "Old apartment buildings have some big broadband infrastructure problems" by Masha Abarinova 

Previously In The News

Roku’s Price Hikes Expose the AI Boom’s Toll on Everyday Gadgets

Roku commands roughly 28 percent of the U.S. connected TV platform market, according to Parks Associates data cited by both The Next Web and The Desk. More than 100 million households worldwide rely o...

Smart Home Integration: Dealers Face Big Challenges

According to fresh data from Parks Associates, a whopping 57% of dealers find this task either tough or impossibly tricky in 2026, climbing up from 44% in 2022. Clearly, as more American households lo...

Big cable companies lose subscribers in Q1 2026 but outpace Q1 2025: Report

Though they still are struggling, strategies big cable companies are using to stanch subscriber losses seem to be working, according to a new report from Parks Associates. Parks Associates report a...

Soaring Memory Prices Dampen Demand for Budget Smartphone

Rising DRAM costs are one of several factors increasing the cost of developing next-generation connected devices, observed Elizabeth Parks, president and CMO of Parks Associates, a Dallas-based market...