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Over the last few years , various factors , such as increased Pay- TV use , on demand streaming and increased home working , have driven the heightened demand for ultrafast broadband in the home . The average home network handles a considerable amount of traffic . From meeting the needs of the home worker , the streamer , the video caller , to the gamer , the stakes for greater broadband connectivity have never been higher . Instant , near faultless connectivity is considered the norm . Any hint of delay , jitter , or buffer and customer frustration grows . Fiber , with its high gigabit rates and speeds , is considered to be the technology to provide the perfect connection .
Many in densely populated , urban environments are spoilt for choice when it comes to ultra-fast reliable broadband , choosing from a plethora of different broadband providers that offer a service in their area . For those in rural areas however , they might not be so lucky . Government subsidies might now be helping drive the roll-out in rural terrain , but they have for so long been overlooked due to the expense and complexity of laying fiber there , compounded by low takeup rates .
This is a situation not dissimilar to those residents that find themselves in multidwelling units ( MDUs , for short ), such as apartment complexes or hotel blocks . MDUs often pose problems for broadband providers , even in urban areas , due to accessibility difficulties and economic viability . Without the necessary , ubiquitous connectivity , landlords struggle to attract and maintain tenants . adverts , displayed on buses or the side of company vans .
You might think that in today ’ s day and age , we must all surely have great coverage ? Well , we hate to break it to you , but you are mistaken . The most recent FTTH Council Europe ’ s Market Panorama report for the 39 EU countries , highlighted that 244 million homes had been passed with fiber , but there were only 121 million subscribers connected . While the overall coverage rate was 69.9 percent , the low take-up rate of fiber highlights the remaining work to be done .
So , how can those living in apartments get access to the fiber connectivity they so desperately crave ?
Victim of landlord delay
Tenants living in the UK ’ s estimated 480,000 MDUs have typically had to wait for their landlord ’ s permission to have a broadband operator enter their building to install connectivity . It is estimated that 40 percent of broadband provider requests for access are blocked due to no response .
But as recent as last year , UK tenants were handed a huge boost when a new law was introduced . The enforcement of the Telecommunications Infrastructure ( Leasehold Property ) Act ( TILPA ) ensured tenants can now
Keeping pace with EU neighbors
Ultra-fast fiber connectivity is no new phenomenon . It has long been touted as the heir predecessor to the previous generations of legacy technologies , and adverts omnipresent in our everyday lives , whether that be in newspapers , on our TV screens or roving
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