The 2025 Broadband Communities Summit convened leaders from telecom, real estate, government, and technology sectors to chart the future of broadband infrastructure—especially for multifamily housing. Sessions explored managed Wi-Fi, BEAD implementation, technology planning, IoT integration, and ESG-driven smart building strategies. This was my first participation at the event, and I found the content to be very focused and relevant to my research but some areas such as senior living were surprisingly not much discussed.
1. Broadband Funding Should Prioritize Multifamily
At the heart of this year’s summit was a strong call to action: broadband funding—federal, state, and local—must explicitly prioritize multifamily buildings. These communities, especially in older and affordable housing stock, are too often left behind in broadband expansion efforts, despite housing some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Industry leaders are reminded that high-speed internet is a core utility powering everything from education and remote work to telehealth and economic opportunity. Yet, many low-income renters still face barriers due to infrastructure limitations or the lapse of programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Speakers urged policymakers and broadband offices to:
- Ensure multifamily properties are eligible and visible in funding programs like BEAD.
- Design subsidy models that reflect renter realities and offer long-term affordability.
- Treat broadband as critical digital infrastructure, to be included from the blueprint stage—not retrofitted after construction.
2. Bulk Managed Wi-Fi
Bulk-managed Wi-Fi has moved from luxury to core infrastructure. It improves Net Operating Income (NOI), tenant satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Leading operators discussed how enterprise-grade networks with seamless roaming and dedicated support systems have become standard expectations in multifamily deployments.
Notably, many developers now opt for:
- Redundant circuits with diverse ISPs.
- Hybrid networks combine Wi-Fi and LAN to segment IoT traffic.
- Modular service tiers for class A, B, and affordable properties.
Despite its clear advantages, managed Wi-Fi still has a relatively low penetration in the MDU market. As noted in Maravedis' report “Multi-Dwelling Rental Units in the United States – Managed Wi-Fi: From Amenity to Necessity.”, the majority of multifamily properties continue to rely on traditional, individually contracted internet services, leaving residents with inconsistent experiences and property managers without the operational benefits of centralized connectivity. This slow adoption presents a significant growth opportunity for service providers and property owners ready to embrace more scalable, resident-centric network models.
3. Senior Living Connectivity
While senior living is poised to become a major growth segment for managed broadband services, it was surprisingly absent from the conversation at the Broadband Communities Summit 2025. As outlined in Maravedis’ research Managed Wi-Fi for Senior Living Could Reach $1 Billion in Service Revenues by 2029, the sector is expected to see a surge in demand driven by telehealth adoption, aging-in-place models, and rising resident expectations for connectivity. Yet despite this clear opportunity, the summit featured little discussion around senior housing. This omission points to a broader industry gap—one where technology strategies for eldercare communities lag behind the urgency of need. As the population continues to age, senior living must be brought to the forefront of broadband planning and investment initiatives.
4. Supply Chain Challenges Are Stabilizing, But Strategic Planning Is Critical
In sessions on tariff impact and supply chain readiness, vendors shared lessons learned from COVID and recent tariff disruptions. Key points:
- Most manufacturers (e.g., Ruckus, ASSA ABLOY, Cambium) have diversified production across Mexico, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
- Three- to six-month ordering windows are now standard to manage construction timelines.
- Tariff costs are being transparently disclosed and often separated on invoices to enable easy recalculation if policy shifts.
Importantly, while Wi-Fi 7 adoption is still <10%, vendors are preparing by offering scalable "good-better-best" device tiers to match a range of property types. The reality however is that the business case to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 is not clear and Maravedis believes Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are more than enough to do the job.
5. Future-Proofing Through Design: Redundancy, ESG, and Smart Infrastructure
The Smart Technology Strategy panel spotlighted the role of connectivity infrastructure in delivering long-term value:
- Redundant fiber pathways and dual ISP feeds have become standard for new construction to maintain uptime—even in dense urban environments like Dallas.
- Smart thermostats, leak detection sensors, and EV charging infrastructure are now expected, not optional.
- ROI is increasingly driven by insurance savings, energy efficiency, and ESG compliance, not just revenue growth.
For example, Mill Creek's internal tech strategy team was held up as a model for how low-voltage design must be tightly managed during both the planning and execution phases. Their hands-on engagement has prevented costly mistakes, such as Cat6 overrun issues, by pivoting to fiber-to-the-unit when necessary.
6. Operational Tech and Resident Wi-Fi Must Coexist
A consistent challenge was voiced at the summit: managing resident-facing Wi-Fi alongside IoT and building systems like locks, cameras, and access control. Vendors recommended:
- Dedicated VLANs and packet prioritization to maintain service quality.
- Cloud-based controllers with edge intelligence, enable network continuity even if cloud access is disrupted.
- Redundant power, backup circuits, and uninterrupted access control to avoid reputational harm from outages.
6. Cloud Migration and Tech Refresh
While equipment vendors will argue that Wi-Fi 7 brings all kinds of new benefits, we believe that Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are more than sufficient to meet the current and near-future demands of multifamily and commercial broadband deployments. These standards offer significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and capacity over previous generations, making them well-suited for dense environments where multiple devices and users are connected simultaneously.
Critically, both Wi-Fi 6 and 6E support WPA3, the latest and most secure Wi-Fi encryption standard, ensuring robust protection for resident and operational networks. From streaming and remote work to IoT integration and smart building controls, the use cases that matter today are fully supported by current WiFi generations—without the cost and complexity that early Wi-Fi 7 adoption may entail.
For most deployments, especially in affordable housing and mid-tier developments, Wi-Fi 6/6E represents a mature, proven, and future-resilient solution.
2025 BBC Awards
I was privileged to be one of the Broadband Communities Awards judges. Congrats to all the winners!
Community Improvement Award Frontier Internet
Customer Experience Award Fort Collins Connexion
Digital Divide Award Compudopt
Multifamily Partner of the Year Aerwave
Property of the Year Modera Trinity — Mill Creek Residential
Rural Connectivity Award Deep East Texas Council of Governments
Startup of the Year BroadbandOne (BB1)
Technology Partner of the Year wibipOS
Tribal Lands Award The Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Wireless Initiative Award EasyStreet Systems
Workforce Development Award Fiber Broadband Association
Lifetime Achievement Award Jim Baller (Keller & Heckman)
Final Thoughts
The Broadband Communities Summit 2025 showcased broadband innovation—from the widespread adoption of bulk managed Wi-Fi to smart infrastructure and forward-looking ESG strategies. Broadband connectivity is foundational to property value, resident satisfaction, and operational resilience.
At Maravedis, we offer targeted research, strategic insights, and marketing services tailored to the multifamily and connectivity industries.