Broadband Communities

MAR-APR 2016

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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70 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2016 INDUSTRY NEWS A New Trade Association For Multifamily Technology The new MBC is a response to the changing world of multifamily broadband. T he Independent Multi-Family Communications Council, originally formed to represent the interests of private cable operators, relaunched in February 2016 as the Multifamily Broadband Council (MBC). A generation ago, the alternative to franchised cable operators in multifamily housing consisted primarily of private cable operators, companies that captured satellite TV programming from rooftop dishes and distributed it within properties over coaxial cable. Today, the available broadband technologies have multiplied, Internet access has become as important as video programming (and new technology amenities are added every year), and the multifamily market has changed radically. Student housing, senior housing, condominiums, hospitality and other niche markets have all evolved with their own specifc broadband requirements. Te one constant is that the need for competitive providers still exists – and an organization for those providers, along with their clients and suppliers, is still needed. Te new organization will be broad- based and aligned with the changing market. Te MBC will assist broadband vendors and property owners and managers as well as service providers as they deploy competitive broadband and IP services to multifamily communities nationwide. "Te goal is to create an organization that will provide a platform for all active broadband participants in our market to learn, engage and enhance their broadband technologies for this unique audience," says Dan Terheggen, the new president of MBC. "We see this market as growing more complex every day, while the importance of broadband technology continues to remain the No. 1 amenity for apartment residents nationwide." Te new executive director for MBC, Valerie Sargent, adds, "We seek to capture the needs of all companies that provide broadband- related services to this market. Tis includes manufacturers, distributors, content providers, network engineers, equipment suppliers, service providers and their customers." Te organization is not limited to a single infrastructure technology. "We see this marketplace flled with a variety of delivery methods, including wireless, cable modem, DSL, active Ethernet and fber-to-the-home technologies," Sargent explains. In the association's view, the 33 million- plus multifamily residents nationwide have specifc broadband needs, and the nonfranchised companies serving this market need an organization that will harness ingenuity, a competitive spirit of innovation and feature-rich broadband solutions that will beneft end users. Sargent adds, "As someone who has worked within the multifamily industry for over 24 years, I am consistently hearing property owners across the United States ask about competitive broadband options for their new communities. MBC will be a great resource for them to fnd creative broadband solutions that will help attract new leases and contribute to resident retention at their properties." Te board of MBC includes a broad base of industry participants, including representatives of DISH Network, Harmonic, Advanced Media Technologies, Perfect-10 and Pace International, among others. "We believe the time has come for an organization to give the multifamily industry the options and unique products it craves, whether those are digital TV, broadband, apartment automation or the Internet of Tings," Terheggen concludes. v For more information about the Multifamily Broadband Council, contact Valerie Sargent at 949-274-3434. Te website, still under development at press time, will be www.mfbroadband.org.

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