By Jeff A. Hales, Cox Communications, Inc.; Gregory Jungwirth, Cox Communications, Inc.; Ramon Gaubert, Cox Communications, Inc.
In the current competitive landscape, Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) owners and management companies are continuously searching for ways to motivate residents to sign new or resign existing leases at their properties versus signing with a competitor. Some of these owners/companies are leaning on service providers to offer advanced automation and integrated services that can simplify and enhance a resident’s daily experience and streamline the management of these services for the staff. These advanced automation and integrated services enable personalized access to the property’s gym, pool, and other amenities, as well as control of lighting, door locks and Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies within the resident’s apartment/rental unit. However, these servicesrequire an Always-On Network (AON) connection (to the Internet) to ensure their associated systems are kept online (24-7) for effective real-time management and control; particular for those systems within an apartment/rental unit, regardless of whether the unit is occupancy or not. AON implementations can vary from property to property, depending on a target property’s construction, layout, age, and implementation budget, which can make it a challenge to deploy and manage to ensure reliability.
This paper will discuss several of the associated challenges and solutions in deploying and managing an AON connection for IoT services in MDU properties, covering deployment models as well as some pros and cons of each. Cost details will not be covered within this paper.