Internet Is Essential to 100% of Multifamily Property Owners—So Why Would Only 29% Recommend Their Service Provider?

A man with glasses standing outside a multifamily property using a tablet

Broadband has become table stakes for multifamily living, as fundamental as running water or reliable heat. So, it’s no surprise that every single multifamily property owner surveyed called quality internet “very important.” Not somewhat important, not a nice-to-have—absolutely essential, full stop.

What was shocking is that only 29% of those same property owners would recommend their current service provider to a peer. This gap is one of the most striking disconnects in broadband today; and with multifamily rental households at an all-time high of 22.4 million in the US and growing, one of the most consequential.

The NPS Nobody’s Bragging About

If you want to look at it another way: Service providers serving the MDU segment carry a Net Promoter Score (NPS®) of –7. For context, an NPS above 50 is considered excellent, above 70 is world-class, and –7 is absolutely abysmal. For service providers, this is not just a satisfaction problem; it’s a retention problem, a referral problem, and a revenue problem at every property you serve.

Consider what’s at stake when MDU broadband underperforms. You don’t have a single unhappy subscriber; you have many. Property owners are business operators responsible for tens or hundreds of families whose daily lives depend on a reliable connection. Property owners sign multi-year contracts, answer directly to residents when the Wi-Fi goes down, and ultimately bear the reputational consequences of a provider that doesn’t deliver.

The takeaway: The bar for “good enough” in MDU broadband has never been lower. That means the bar for “standout” has never been more achievable. And it represents an enormous open door for service providers that can do MDU connectivity or Wi-Fi or broadband? differently.

What It Actually Takes to Win in MDU

Despite what some might think, MDU broadband is not residential broadband at scale. Having the right solution to meet the unique technical requirements of MDUs is just the starting point. Success also demands navigating a distinct ecosystem with its own rules, relationships, and decision-making dynamics. To win in MDU, service providers need to:

Know the stakeholders. A typical multifamily broadband deal involves property owners, asset managers, property managers, onsite staff, and often telecom consultants and specialized attorneys—each with different motivations and a different role in the decision. A REIT with a portfolio of hundreds of properties runs a very different procurement process than an independent owner managing a single building. Knowing who you’re talking to, and what they actually care about, is the foundation of every successful MDU sale.

Choose the right business model. Bulk internet—where the owner contracts for the whole building at a discounted per-unit rate and bundles it into rent—delivers near-100% adoption and predictable recurring revenue but requires capital investment and high service standards. Retail models carry different financial dynamics and sales approaches. Hybrid arrangements are increasingly common. The right model for each property is a strategic decision, not a default.

Understand the technical realities. A Class A greenfield development and a 1970s garden-style brownfield property are completely different deployment challenges. Infrastructure access, existing wiring, building layout, and required upgrades all shape what’s feasible, how long it takes, and what it costs.

Build the right internal capabilities. MDU success requires the right roles, skills, and processes—from service provider sales teams that understand the B2B dynamic to support functions that can respond at the building level, not just the individual subscriber.

But above all of this, service delivery is the real differentiator. Property owners aren’t chasing the lowest per-unit rate or the fastest headline speed. As one put it plainly: “No problems, and problems resolved quickly.” In other words: prevent the issue and fix it fast when you can’t. The service providers who get this right—who show up reliably and respond quickly—are the ones who turn single-property wins into lasting portfolio relationships.

The Playbook for Getting MDU Right

The satisfaction gap between what property owners need and what most service providers deliver is real,but it is not inevitable. The providers closing that gap aren’t doing it by accident. They’re doing it with a clear understanding of the MDU market, the right approach to each stakeholder and each property, and a commitment to service that goes beyond the contract.

The numbers are clear. The opportunity is real. The question is whether your organization is ready to capture it.

Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.