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

ONLINE VIDEO ROUND-UP: Twitter, Facebook, Versy Make Big Moves

A recent study by Parks Associates claims that more millennials pay for online video than any other age groups. Highlights include that 23 percent of those surveyed only watch video online, and 61 per...

Pay TV Companies Are Losing Ground To OTA

The latest Parks Associates study is out, and it has more bad news for traditional pay TV companies. Once again, satellite and cable companies are seeing losses. And it’s not just streaming services t...

Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Customer Satisfaction Lead Narrows On Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Hulu

Netflix subscribers had been loyal till last year, as a recent study by Parks Associates revealed that its users were far less likely to discontinue the service, compared to those of Amazon’s Prime In...

Netflix Is King of Paid Streaming, Study Says

Fear about missing out on the next big video audience has spurred programmers like HBO, CBS, Showtime and others to launch their own personal versions of Netflix. But the money generated by their new...