Connectivity is top of everyone’s mind, especially when there are issues, like streaming a movie and it buffers at the same time the mystery person is revealed, my favorite is cycling through a great workout with your idolized trainer and the connection breaks during key instructions, or when you get the “lost connection” notification hosting an important Zoom conference call. We all have experienced some form of connectivity disruption at one point, or many, in our lives and we all know it’s extremely frustrating. Whether you’re working from home, from an office or on the road in a hotel room, poor connectivity can affect our daily routines in multiple ways throughout any given day. Essentially, we all are paying someone to provide quality internet and Wi-Fi services, whether you’re a business, multifamily operator, café, or homeowner. It’s imperative for service providers to provide reliable and high-performance connectivity to subscribers while at the same time juggling the challenges of managing growth, competition, and cost-benefit ratios. Consumers’ digital demand increases as new technology is introduced which has broadband providers upgrading and replacing existing networks to meet this ever-increasing demand.
Let’s Go a Bit Deeper
In the hopes to gain a deeper understanding of quality connectivity and quality of experience “QOE”, without getting too techy, we sat down with ROVR Score’s own data and analytics expert, Taylor Gunn, to unlock some of the secrets on what defines quality connectivity.
Q. Is high speed internet the same as quality internet connectivity?
A. True quality internet connectivity should be measured from the user’s perspective and includes performance, accessibility, availability, and reliability. Quality of Service “QoS” can be achieved by managing data traffic which results in reduced packet loss, latency, and jitter on the respective network. This is all performed by establishing priorities for specific types of data that traverse through the network.
Q. How or does network congestion factor into one’s network experience?
A. Yes, network congestion is a large contributing aspect of a user’s experience and typically a negative experience at that. Network congestion is the result of a temporary circumstance when a user experiences slow response times due to high traffic and sometimes antiquated hardware.
Q. We’ve heard some of the more common terms of bandwidth, latency and jitter thrown around when discussing internet usage, can you give a high-level overview on how each of these terms could affect me trying to play a video game or stream a movie?
A. Typical network quality can be assessed by several indicators, but a few include latency and jitter. If latency, also referred to as lag, is high on your network, it will cause a delay in your streaming or gaming services. Jitter is typically seen by inconsistencies in your network latency, e.g., a choppy streaming experience. Bandwidth measures the total capacity of the network. The number of devices you have will impact the amount of bandwidth needed and ultimately your internet speeds. If you have a large number of devices connected to the network and not enough bandwidth, that can result in slower internet speeds. Latency and Jitter are important during video communication, streaming, or gaming. Any activity requiring real-time transmission of data.
Q. What are some easy methods a consumer might use to test the quality level of a community’s internet?
A. That’s a good question. Many consumers perform speed tests on a regular basis through various providers; Ookla, Netflix, Xfinity and so on, but note these tools are only measuring upload and download speeds in that specific location the speed test was performed. To test the stability of your internet connection, webtools can be used, i.e., ping test.
How Important is Quality Internet?
With 89% of residents interested in or won’t rent without quality internet access, partnering with a third party provider to promote your number one amenity, connectivity, is a significant differentiator in leasing conversions. Third party providers have recently created an objective internet performance score for communities and buildings. This connectivity score, much like a Walk Score or an Ora Score, can be easily identified by the consumer, without having to perform and piece together numerous self-tests to determine the level of connectivity quality.
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