Gigabit Internet for Students
Bandwidth demand is increasing, largely driven by transforming IT Technology from software to infrastructure solutions.
Users are increasingly adopting cloud technology and adoption of new media is also prevalent with most businesses having active video streaming channels and internal video conferencing to name but a few bandwidth hungry applications.
Gigabit broadband, refers to a connection of more than 1000Mbps, a speed that was unthinkable just a few years ago, but one that is becoming increasingly desirable and achievable. Whether they’re on laptops, smartphones or game consoles, today’s students want the fastest and most reliable internet connection available. In fact, speed of connection is often rated as one of the most important factors considered when choosing accommodation. We’ve previously highlighted how student internet usage has changed over the last few years. Quite simply students have more connected devices, consuming more data and this is increasing every year.
A great building can be let down by poor Internet provision. It may sound dramatic, but the Internet is as vital to students as breathing. Many landlords have learnt that poor internet is a source of endless complaint. A student’s bedroom is their personal study hall and recreation room so the building needs sufficient infrastructure to enable a first-class broadband service to be delivered.
To deliver gigabit broadband for students then it’s necessary to choose an infrastructure and service provider who can deliver a true full fibre optic network. Gigabit speeds can only be delivered effectively through fibre, it’s got the capacity, speed and reliability both for today and tomorrow.
Adopting a future proofed full fibre network has significant advantages for both students and providers. Able to deliver the fastest speeds today and well into the future, only fibre can deliver the speeds of 10Gbps and beyond that will be required by the students of tomorrow. In a highly competitive market, providers who don’t invest, could find themselves with empty rooms that fail to meet the needs of the students of 2030.
The highly competitive nature of the student accommodation market also means that providers are frequently operating on tight margins. If they fail to fill rooms then they’re not making any money. Accommodation that provides the fastest connectivity will be more attractive to prospective residents, so it makes sense to make the investment.
Full fibre infrastructure also provides benefits to accommodation providers beyond satisfied students. The same network can be utilised to provide a backbone for the installation of a range of IoT technology. As you then only have to pay for one set of infrastructure to be installed and the resulting merger of multiple service contracts provides significant capital and operating infrastructure.
This article originally appeared in the June edition of University Business
