Last week, we ran a story about a recent Parks Associates study concerning the rising interests in smart video doorbell installations.

Now, Parks Associates has released a new white paper – sponsored by Plume – and it’s titled “Managed Wi-Fi in Multifamily Housing: Key Use Cases and Considerations.” In it, Parks Associates highlights practical use cases for technologies in many MDUs; with its data come ways businesses can automate processes for homeowners, save on costs, and more.

From the 300 U.S. MDU property managers and owners surveyed, the following are the top takeaways:

• 87% of U.S. internet households subscribe to at least 1-3 streaming services, 71% play video games on a weekly basis, and 30% work remotely at least once per week. All of these factors play their role when it comes to reliably connectivity, bulk packages, etc.
• 89% of property managers who won’t currently offer bulk internet reported that they plan to do so within the next 12 months. (However, only 43% of residents in spaces with bulk internet claim it’s been as reliable as they’d hoped.)
• 45% of surveyees have reported facing myriad technical challenges in order to keep MDUs up with modernization, “including getting networking equipment working with select services and carriers, connecting devices successfully, and setting up services for new residents.” (i.e. likely ones with specific expectations about connectivity for their unique needs)

From its research, Parks Associates believes that managed Wi-Fi “presents a solution to these challenges, offering improved performance and management features, as well as advanced cybersecurity” (when compared to legacy deployments, that is).

According to Parks Associates, that’s the direction the market is moving in – a future of smart apartment rollouts and smart-enhanced building management solutions. (The white paper also addresses challenges central to data traffic, user authentication, the need for enhanced privacy measures, time-of-use considerations, and more.)

"As new use cases evolve, multifamily properties will increasingly need to invest in their network architecture and ensure that their network backbones are robust and flexible enough to meet future demand," concluded Kristen Hanich, Research Director, Parks Associates. "Parks Associates research shows that families are adding more IoT devices to their networks, and with only 43% of residents interviewed being satisfied with their current bulk service, CSPs, and building owners can turn to managed Wi-Fi services to improve in-home experiences and increase customer satisfaction."

From the article, "What are Homeowners Gravitating Toward? A Necessary Glance at MDUs' Needs for Modernized Support" by Alex Passett