The availability of unlimited high speed broadband is increasingly becoming an essential feature for Australian apartment tenants and buyers.
Unfortunately, many buildings only have access to ADSL 2+ at best and perhaps with little hope of ever seeing the NBN.
The number of Australians choosing an apartment lifestyle is continuing to grow, due in part to the rising cost of housing in inner city locations.
According to research firm IBISWorld, the Multi-Unit Apartments and Townhouse sector in Australia has seen an unprecedented level of activity since the late 2000s, with commencements reaching a record peak in 2014-15.
A recent Commonwealth Bank Property Insights report reveals Australia was in the midst of its biggest apartment development boom to date, with an estimated 80,000 apartments under construction.
While it may be a few years before some cities have the demand to absorb all these new apartments, something that may help a building stand out from the pack is making truly fast broadband access available.
In the USA, access to high speed broadband has become as important as other utilities. Many more renters and owners are now considering very fast internet connections a necessity, to the degree it now adds to a sale or rental price.
In the UK, a survey last year of MDU (multiple-dwelling-unit) building owners and managers indicated money is being left on the table by undervaluing residents’ broadband needs.
Most mid to high rise apartments constructed over the last 5 years in Australia only have access to ADSL 2+ type speeds of ~25Mbps download and far slower upload rates. Many of these buildings have little to no chance of ever being connected to the NBN.
Even where the National Broadband Network is or will be available, the setup costs for building owners or body corporates aren't cheap - up to $1,000 per apartment.
However, there is now a cheaper and faster alternative to the NBN. Recently launched Lightning Broadband can offer developers and body corporates incredibly fast and reliable Internet with zero setup costs.
Lightning Broadband evolved from a very successful community-led project in Victoria. Based on direct fibre and hybrid wireless + fibre broadband technology, the service is in the process of rolling out across Australia.
