High-speed Internet As An Important MPC Amenity

Even before COVID-19, many households relied on at-home Wi-Fi/internet connection for a variety of activities. The pandemic bolstered the need for effective Wi-Fi internet connections, as people worked remotely, and families consumed at-home entertainment options.

While employers and companies are re-opening, at-home work and entertainment internet requirements remain high. Many homeowners still work remotely through hybrid workplace arrangements. When it comes to entertainment, families still like to stream on television sets, computers, smart phones and tablets. All of this means higher bandwidth requirements.

How much more? According to informational website HighSpeedInternet.com the minimum internet speed needed for at-home workers is 10 megabits per second (mbps) for downloads, and 1 mbps for uploads.

Keep in mind that this suggested amount is for work only. And it is per person. For a family of four, you’re technically quadrupling the above requirement. Even then, you might not have enough speed to support two remote workers, plus kids who are streaming Netflix movies or playing Xbox or PlayStation games.

Internet speed is an important consideration, especially if you’re on the market for a new home and are looking for one in a master-planned community (MPC).

What to Look for in a Home

One thing to understand is that internet bandwidth is delivered through the following methods:

• Fiber
• Cable
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• Satellite

Generally, fiber and cable are considered fastest methods of bandwidth delivery; they offer high enough speeds to support work-from-home and entertainment activities. As such, it should not be a surprise that both fiber and cable are offered as high-end amenities among quality MPCs.

For instance, the ARTAVIA® community offers the following internet service providers to its homes:

• Fast Fiber (fiber): 10 gigabits of download per second (gbps), which equates to 10,000 mbps.
• Suddenlink (dedicated cable): Up to 1 gbps of download and 940 mbps of upload.
• Xfinity (cable internet; fiber in some locations): 1.2 gbps of download.

The above provides higher internet speeds than the minimum recommendation.

In addition to speed at home, it’s great to stay connected when taking advantage of an MPC’s indoor and outdoor amenities and offerings. ARTAVIA® offers this great advantage, allowing residents to connect to the community’s Wi-Fi network at the on-site amenity center, Palate Café and gathering spaces.

If you work remotely from an ARTAVIA® home, you aren’t tied to your desk or home office. You can get lunch at the Palate Café and stay in touch with clients via smart phone, laptop or tablet. Or, if you want a breath of fresh air, you can take your work outside to the picnic areas.

Keeping Up-to-Speed

The takeaway here is that when looking for a home, your focus is usually on the neighborhood, schools and nearby community offerings, shopping and activities. It’s also a very good idea to carefully examine bandwidth delivery services. The rule of thumb here is, the higher the bandwidth, the faster your internet, and the more devices you can power.

Whether you’re working remotely or want to keep your family entertained, having enough bandwidth is essential. So, when it comes to home shopping, be sure that high-speed internet is on your list of must-haves.