High-Speed Internet Draws Many Renters

Comcast's high-speed cable Internet service is popular in individual apartments throughout the region, but only a handful of area properties offer it to all their residents. That's because "the occupancy rate in the region is so high," Comcast spokesman Jim Gordon said. "Oftentimes, it's just that building owners are not that motivated to [get] into a bulk arrangement. The apartment complexes have found it easier to make sure the wiring is there and let the residents choose [the provider]."

Meanwhile, building-wide WiFi -- wireless connectivity -- has piqued the interest of a few local property managers. One is Oakwood Worldwide, which operates apartment buildings and short-term rentals for business travelers. It offers the amenity through broadband provider Wayport at 14 U.S. locations, including Falls Church and Gaithersburg.

WiFi-enabled properties are essentially giant hot spots. So, for a $30 monthly fee, residents at Oakwood properties can stay connected as they roam through the pool area, tennis courts and friends' units with their laptops.

"They're able to sit and do their laundry and surf the Internet. They can turn downtime into productive time," said Larry McClements, project manager of Oakwood technology services.

Oakwood's atypical clientele may have prompted the company to try ubiquitous WiFi, noted Cardwell of the National Multi Housing Council.

"Oakwood kind of caters to the corporate and the mobile executive market . . . and the demand for high-speed Internet access tends to be strong among these residents," Cardwell said.

About 23 percent of long-term residents in Gaithersburg, and 30 percent in Falls Church, sign up for the Internet service, according to Oakwood.

WiFi does have its limits. When a building's structure contains a lot of metal, or a resident's room is covered with mirrors, signal transmission becomes spotty. Floor-to-floor WiFi brings security and reliability risks, too, Cardwell said. It's critical for subscribers to maintain strong security at their own PC level, and for the building owners to maintain firewall and identity security at the network level.

One place WiFi is especially attractive is in historic districts, where wires of any type can be unsightly. Christopher Swanson, co-owner of Evolve Property Management, banded with local WiFi company DC Access for his Capitol Hill buildings: the Barbara, the Marday, the Pierce School Lofts and the Pierce School Annex.

"We have a historically accurate building. It's not historically accurate to have cables running down the hallways," he said. "Or, you gotta run it on the outside of the building and, boy, that looks really, really terrible."

The WiFi access points and necessary wires -- installed two years ago -- are mostly invisible to residents, hidden in old chaseways, closets or incinerators. A small antenna is placed in back and out of sight, maintaining the facade's curb appeal. Residents pay their online bills directly to DC Access -- at a discount rate negotiated between DC Access and Swanson.

DC Access has about a 25 percent penetration rate in the 11 properties it services, according to DC Access co-founder Martha Huizenga. The company can either make an entire building wireless, similar to the Oakwood setup, or service an individual unit. For the latter, the company must get permission from the building owner to attach an antenna.

"We find that most property owners agree," Huizenga said. "On occasion, we will have a single resident order service, and through that contact with the owner, we eventually make the entire building wireless."

Since the WiFi company is small, technicians come to take care of any service problems within minutes, according to residents.

"When I upgraded, they had to change something on my computer and they installed a wireless card to enhance the performance," said Laurie Blanton, 30, a software company technical writer and DC Access customer.

She works from home at Lincoln Towers apartments, near Eastern Market in Southeast Washington. It's a completely wireless communications environment, besides having WiFi computer access, she has chosen to do without a landline phone and use her cell phone. And it all works. "For my job, it's absolutely necessary that I have a fast and stable Internet connection from home," Blanton said.