BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
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14 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | JULY 2016 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH A Dramatic Broadband Rescue: Creekside Vue Apartments This month, Broad B and Communities highlights Creekside Vue, a luxury greenfield development in New Braunfels, Texas, about 25 miles northeast of San Antonio. Mesh Networks stepped in after the original contractor was unable to install the agreed- upon broadband equipment. Mesh improved and implemented the existing design, which included fiber to equipment rooms with coax and Cat 5 cable to individual units. Thanks to Joanne Luger, VP of sales at Mesh Networks, and owner Tim Marroquin for supplying the information for this profile. By Steven S. Ross / Broadband Communities C reekside Vue offers reliable, fast, low-cost broadband service to provide tenants with the look and feel of decidedly upscale housing. Developer Tim Marroquin has developed housing for 40 years and has more than a decade of experience using internet service as an amenity, but he says he "doesn't fall for the trend" of putting gigabit networks everywhere, immediately. "You have to watch costs, or they get out of hand," he says. "Of course, the intention is to grow, even to a gig if necessary, but only as we need it. I figure this [level of service] will last a year or two, but every year there will be a certain percentage of tenants that want more. ey are going to continue to demand internet streaming for everything. at is the direction we're heading." Long before construction started, Marroquin made the decision to limit copper throughout the apartments. e coax and Cat 5 cables terminate where tenants can place Wi-Fi routers – usually in the living rooms and master bedrooms. "is is not a decision I regret," he says. Now Marroquin is investigating using all Wi-Fi in future buildings. "By 2005, I realized the internet was really coming of age," says Marroquin. "I ran into a guy who had worked for a cable company and then Southwestern Bell – now AT&T; – and I told him I wanted something special for internet service. We combined AT&T; and DISH, buying bulk services from them and offering it as an amenity with the rent." Marroquin typically finances his projects with loans through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Not many people know HUD offers loans for market-rate buildings as a partial countercyclical cure for times when money is tight," he notes. "e biggest problem I had back then was getting HUD to finance the broadband in the build." In Mesh Networks, he found the perfect partner, almost by accident. Mesh Networks stepped in at the last minute to rescue the Creekside Vue network, says Joanne Luger, vice president of sales for Mesh. Originally, Mesh was hired to provide bandwidth management, and another company was contracted to wire inside the buildings and