For apartment residents, internet service doesn’t get any simpler than this

This piece is sponsored by Midco.

When tenants like Mercedes Dufek move into an apartment at Lux North, getting connected is nearly as easy as simply walking in the door.

“The Wi-Fi service is already set up and ready for you,” Dufek said. “I received an email to create an account, and from there I just had to connect my devices.”

She and her neighbors are served by Midco’s bulk internet managed Wi-Fi, which allows property owners and managers to provide internet service as part of the resident experience.

“The services have been great,” Dufek said. “I have more than seven devices connected for streaming and scrolling and have had no issues with connectivity or speed.”

Plus, her Midco service is included in her rent, “which eliminates an additional payment to remember,” she added.

That’s the sort of experience property manager Lloyd Cos. wants to deliver for residents, prompting the company to roll out the managed Wi-Fi in all its new properties and several existing ones.

“It’s been really successful,” said Luke Jessen, vice president of development. “It’s a win-win for the property and provides good value to the residents.”

For property owners and managers, the appeal is twofold: Internet service becomes a resident amenity while also creating a more efficient, streamlined process for the building.

“We set the price of internet for each resident and can get our residents a better package for less than they could if they went and bought it on their own,” Jessen said. “Plus, there’s a financial benefit to the property owner.”

For residents, it removes one of the first hassles of moving.

There is no need to research providers, schedule installation or wait for a technician. At properties with Midco’s managed Wi-Fi, service is ready when the resident moves in.

“There’s no need to make a call. The internet is just there,” Jessen said.

At Lux North, residents receive 1 gigabit service, with the option to work directly with Midco if they want to upgrade service or add television.

“They still get all the customer service from Midco,” Jessen said. “For us, it’s really turnkey as a property owner.”

That experience matters in multifamily housing, where move-ins and move-outs happen regularly.

With Midco’s solution, Lloyd’s property managers can help reset service for new move-ins, reducing the number of steps required for residents and eliminating the need for multiple providers and technicians coming in and out of the building for individual startups and shutdowns.

“Our property manager can reset internet with new move-ins, so it’s one less call the resident has to make,” Jessen said.

For Midco, bulk internet is designed around the needs of multifamily properties, student housing and other multi-dwelling units.

The company offers several levels of service depending on a property’s needs:

• Community Internet is the simplest option, providing an internet connection for each unit. Residents can bring their own Wi-Fi equipment or upgrade their speed while paying the difference in cost.
• Community Wi-Fi adds wireless access for all units, allowing managers to onboard and offboard tenants and giving residents the ability to customize and manage their home network.
• Community Wi-Fi 360 provides the most complete managed experience, allowing residents to stay connected throughout the property without switching to a separate network in common areas.

“Community Wi-Fi is an outstanding Wi-Fi solution that the property manager can use to provide Wi-Fi to their tenants, allowing them to move people in and out of units seamlessly,” said Jason Chimchirian, director for business and properties at Midco.

In many cases, Community Wi-Fi is the right fit for owners and managers who want to provide Wi-Fi to tenants without having to manage the technical details, he said. For more premium or luxury properties, Community Wi-Fi 360 can provide a higher-end experience with full-property roaming.

Midco also works with property owners on optional add-ons for property networks, community networks and connected devices.

The goal is to fit the service to the building rather than force a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Midco’s sellers are well versed in the benefits of each and will guide customers to the right choice for them,” Chimchirian said.

Multifamily living, simplified

For building owners, offering internet as part of the property can help boost value and provide one of the most important amenities residents look for today.

For managers, it simplifies operations.

“Our solutions allow them to easily onboard and offboard tenants throughout the tenant lifecycle,” Chimchirian said.

In a bulk internet arrangement, property owners typically wrap the cost into rent or an amenity fee. Because Midco provides service for the entire building, the cost can be lower on a per-unit basis than if residents purchased service individually.

That can create value for residents and a financial benefit for the property.

For Lloyd Cos., that has made Midco’s managed Wi-Fi a strong fit.

“We already had Midco service in nearly all our buildings, but this makes Midco the preferred service in them,” Jessen said.

Lloyd also uses the service in other markets, including Rapid City, and plans to include it in a new North Sioux City project.

The feedback from residents has been positive, Jessen said.

“It’s great internet service at a lower price than they could buy themselves,” he said.

Midco’s bulk internet service also has continued to evolve.

Community Internet and Community Wi-Fi 360 have been available since at least 2019, while Community Wi-Fi was added to fill a need for buildings that wanted a strong Wi-Fi solution with flexibility and value.

Community Wi-Fi also marked Midco’s first deployment of Wi-Fi 6E technology, which opens use of the 6 GHz frequency band for devices such as laptops and cellphones. That additional band helps deliver faster speeds, lower latency and less interference in dense multi-dwelling environments.

“We are proud to be trailblazers for Midco in the Wi-Fi space,” Chimchirian said.

While multifamily housing is the primary user of Midco’s bulk internet products, the service also is used in student housing, nursing homes, assisted living buildings and some homeowners associations.

The University of North Dakota uses a Midco bulk solution for campus housing, and Midco also serves fraternity and sorority housing.

“The feedback we most often get is gratitude for a trusted partner who can provide service to additional buildings our customers have within their portfolio,” Chimchirian said.

“We are also told we have great customer service and are extremely responsive to customer needs.”

Getting started

For property owners considering the service, the first step is a conversation about the building, the resident experience they want to create and the level of service that best fits the property.

Before installation, Midco works with owners and managers to understand the layout and needs of the property. From there, Midco handles installation and provides ongoing support, including access to a dedicated properties support line.

Residents move in, connect devices and start using the service.

For Jessen, that’s exactly the point.

“It’s one less issue the resident has to address and one more reason we think they will have a positive experience living in our communities,” he said.

To learn more about Midco’s bulk internet solutions for properties, visit business.midco.com/services/internet/bulk-internet or call 800-571-5463.