Add Bandwidth to Your Apartment Portfolio It's a shrewd move to add smart amenities such as Bob Faitz, a 20-year real estate veteran, understands what it takes to improve a building ownership portfolio. “We’re getting a lot of younger residents who demand that we have high-speed Internet,” says Faitz, vice president of ancillary services at AMLI Residential, which develops, acquires and manages luxury apartment communities. So Faitz advocates enhancing properties with the latest high-tech amenities to attract and retain residents with the best Internet, phone and TV connections. Joining the Bandwidth BandwagonOne way to add high-tech amenities, and not just for the luxury market, is with fiber-optics. Nearly 1.3 million, or 1.3 percent, of U.S. households were connected directly to fiber-optic lines by mid-2007, according to the Fiber-to-the-Home Council. That number has already grown to more than 2 percent and could reach 25 percent within three years. To maintain competitive portfolios, apartment owners need to keep pace. More and more residents are using the high-bandwidth services that fiber-optics delivers for personal and business use. These services include movie and music downloads; TV, movie and online video viewing; online gaming; online stock and commodities trading; and instant messaging. As such applications grow in popularity, people are increasingly using several of them at the same time. That means growing demand for ever-higher bandwidth that only fiber-optics can deliver. Future-Proofing PortfoliosAcross the country, property owners have been preparing for the fiber-optic age for years. In 2004, UNITS, the magazine of the National Apartment Association, reported that optical fiber had become a highly sought connection option for apartment owners: “Progressive owners are choosing solutions and strategies that will enable them to take advantage of fiber when it becomes prevalent nationwide over the next five to 10 years, thus supporting bandwidth requirements for many decades.” Indeed, builders of multifamily properties began setting the stage for the fiber-optic age in anticipation of fiber-optic networks. For example, it’s becoming more and more common for developers to incorporate microduct pathways that enable them to run optical fiber to individual units even before services such as Verizon FiOS® became available in their communities. Such designs offer state-of-the-art technology from day one and will stay competitive indefinitely. Smart Buildings for Smart Owners As more residents need and want a reliable high-bandwidth network, will your apartment portfolio be ready to accommodate them? Connecting your property to a fiber-optic network could help you differentiate your property, boosting occupancy, rents and property value over the long term. Whether you’re developing new properties or improving existing ones, Verizon FiOS can help strengthen your portfolio. Think long term. Gain an edge by offering tenants the bandwidth they need today and tomorrow. Let us sweat the details. Incorporate fiber-optics in your design plans or enjoy low-impact installation that minimizes disruption and fits seamlessly into existing properties. Costs? What costs? Verizon covers almost all FiOS deployment costs in existing multifamily properties where the company offers FiOS to single-family homes and businesses. Many happy returns. In addition to luring tenants, Verizon FiOS offers marketing contracts that may include door fees, bulk discounts on video and data services, or monthly residual fees. Property owners who know technology understand how fiber-optics is a great amenity — and an emerging utility their tenants increasingly demand. In a competitive marketplace, Verizon FiOS broadband can give you the edge you need. For more info contact Brenda Lamey at 866-678-0070 or email Brenda.
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