A regulatory storm is gathering as state legislatures from California to Colorado to New York advance bills that threaten to dismantle the bulk managed WiFi model in multifamily housing through opt-out mandates, markup caps, open access requirements, and infrastructure duplication rules. Each of these measures is framed as "pro-consumer," yet each may create unintended consequences for the very residents it purports to protect.

The industry has been caught flat-footed, armed with anecdotes when legislators demand hard data, and as one MSP executive told me recently, it needs real data that activists and business groups can use to get ahead of this before another state follows California's lead.

The Narrative Problem

Here's the uncomfortable truth: the industry has let opponents control the story, and the current narrative that property owners pocket all the surplus while residents lose choice doesn't resonate well with policymakers or the public. As industry insiders have warned me, making it all about Net Operating Income (NOI) is dangerous because, as one veteran put it, "hogs get slaughtered," and when owners publicly celebrate revenue gains without quantifying resident benefits, they hand ammunition to regulators looking for reasons to intervene.

The industry needs to flip this script with credible, economist-validated research that proves managed Wi-Fi creates what economists call "resident surplus," meaning real savings for the people who matter most to legislators.

Not Just a Blue State Problem

Some assume this is only a blue state issue and that Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Arizona are safe, but that assumption is dangerously complacent because political winds shift, today's red state can turn purple tomorrow, and consumer advocacy groups operate nationwide with the understanding that a "successful" restriction in California becomes a template for activists everywhere.

The industry cannot afford a state-by-state reactive defense and instead needs a comprehensive, 50-state economic analysis ready before legislators even draft their bills.

The Affordability and Green Angles

The political climate right now is all about affordability, and bulk managed WiFi delivers 20-40% cost savings versus retail, which are savings that matter most to seniors, students, and families in affordable housing who also benefit from day-one connectivity without credit checks that disproportionately exclude minorities and young adults. This is a powerful digital equity story the industry simply hasn't quantified.

For environmentally-minded states, there's another untold story: managed WiFi eliminates redundant truck rolls, avoids duplicate wiring, and enables smart building technology that reduces water leakage and energy consumption. A connected building is a smarter, greener building that you simply cannot achieve with retail internet, and this environmental surplus needs dollar figures that resonate with green-minded policymakers.

A Coalition of the Willing

Maravedis Research has assembled a team of top PhD economists who have conducted similar assessments, including economic value studies for similar policy issues, and this isn't a marketing document but rather rigorous research designed to withstand opponent scrutiny and suitable for regulatory proceedings and legislative testimony.

A study of this scope exceeds any single company's advocacy budget, but a coalition of MSPs, property owners, equipment vendors, and other stakeholders can share the load, creating the runway for research that the entire industry deploys for years with the third-party credibility that in-house economists can never deliver. In a multi-billion-dollar industry, this is a modest investment against enormous stakes.

The Time for Proactivity Is Now

California's AB 1414 is now in effect, and while it remains to be seen whether residents will opt out en masse or even know they can, the full extent of its impact remains unknown, and that uncertainty is precisely the problem. Waiting to see what happens in California before acting elsewhere is a losing strategy because by the time the damage becomes measurable, other states will have already copied the template.

The industry can keep reacting and hoping regulators don't notice, or it can get ahead of the next wave with a comprehensive economic analysis that ends the cycle of senseless regulations before they gain momentum. There is much at stake for operators, property owners, and millions of residents who stand to lose affordable, barrier-free connectivity.

Join us for an exclusive webinar, "Evidence for Policymakers: Assessing Multifamily Managed WiFi's Economic Value", on February 3, 2026

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