Full Fibre ISP Hyperoptic Launch Site-Wide WiFi for Build-to-Rent

City-focused UK broadband ISP Hyperoptic has launched a new “Site-Wide Wi-Fi” solution for the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market, which for example means that residents in a particular area or large residential building could seamlessly roam around the development with their devices while continuing to stay connected via WiFi.

At present Hyperoptic’s gigabit-capable “full fibre” (FTTP/B) broadband network is already present in parts of 43 UK towns and cities, across well over 400,000 premises, and they have previously expressed an ambition to cover 2 million UK premises by the end of 2021 and then 5 million by the end of 2024 (mostly in urban areas). A lot of this work involves going into large residential buildings (Multiple Dwelling Units), as well as office blocks and some houses.

However, in the course of doing this the operator has also seen rising demand from Build-to-Rent (BTR) investors and operators, which want to offer their residents an expanded array of connectivity solutions. The new Site-Wide WiFi product is the provider’s response, which essentially involves hooking up a series of wireless access points, positioned throughout a development, to their fibre cables (not unlike membership-based Hotel WiFi networks, but this goes deeper than that).

“This process ‘site-wide WiFi’ is automatic, creating a seamless experience in which a resident can move throughout the development without experiencing a disruption in their connection. Other product features include: guest Wi-Fi, footfall analytics, a management portal, and competitive pricing for all-inclusive tenancy billing,” said the ISP.

Additional Site-Wide WiFi Features

Site-wide Wi-Fi: As residents roam around the development, they are connected to their individual VLAN, which will continuously search for and seamlessly connect to the nearest access point to provide the strongest signal.

Guest Wi-Fi: Guests can access a portal that enables Wi-Fi connectivity every time they visit a site.

Footfall Analytics: The access points enable detailed usage and footfall analytics for operators, giving valuable insight into how people are moving around and engaging with their building.

Management Portal: The portal enables BTR operators to activate and onboard new residents to their Wi-Fi connection themselves. This is supported by Hyperoptic’s Customer Service channels.

Commercial Model: Hyperoptic offers a range of competitively priced contract lengths, contributions, and operating models. This means the client can choose to make an upfront contribution to cover some of the installation costs and benefit from a lower, ongoing operating fee or they can choose to make no contribution upfront and pay a higher operating cost.

The solution will no doubt be attractive to some of the operators 250+ developer partners, which include nationwide deals with the likes of Barratts, CALA, and Avant Homes etc.

Liam McAvoy, MD of Hyperoptic’s Business Development, said:

“The BTR market is an exciting sector that’s set for huge growth. As an urban-only full fibre broadband provider, we have spent the last ten years delivering and honing our broadband experience for the rental market. We understand that the relationship between tenants and their connectivity has changed – it forms the bedrock of their favourite activities, across streaming, socialising and shopping. Having a seamless experience is game-changing, and will hugely contribute to their overall positive living experience.”

According to the British Property Federation (BPF), the BTR sector now has more than 170,000 homes in the pipeline – with over 50,000 homes completed. CBRE estimates the current value of the BTR sector at nearly £14bn, with prime net yields continuing to range from 3.25% to 4.25%. Suffice to say that there’s an opportunity for Hyperoptic in there and being fibre-fed ensures their WiFi will stay fast.