By Stephanie Smith, Business Development Director, Residential, Wifinity.
There’s a moment on every scheme that tells you how the rest of the building will run. It isn’t the ribbon-cutting or the handover of keys. It’s move-in day, when BTR connectivity is put to the test as residents arrive, devices in hand, expecting everything to work.
According to our 2026 Connectivity Report, produced in partnership with BE News and Ruckus, BTR connectivity is still too often where things can unravel, planned too late and felt acutely on move-in day.
Not because developers or operators don’t care about connectivity, but because it’s still being treated as something that they think about late in the programme. The report says that this approach is starting to feel out of step with today’s modern building operations and resident experiences.
The report recommends that digital infrastructure be treated as another utility, alongside water, gas and electricity. It’s a simple idea, but it changes the conversation. After all, utilities are planned in from the start. They’re not left until practical completion (as a third of respondents said they do), and they’re not handed across multiple suppliers to piece together at the last minute. Developers design, deliver and depend on them as core infrastructure.
Today, connectivity is firmly in that category.
BTR Connectivity: The Case for Planning It Early
In build-to-rent (BTR), the implications are clear. Some 83% of developments are deploying smart security and access control systems, and 72% are introducing smart energy features. These systems don’t sit on top of a building; they run through it. Without a managed network underneath, performance suffers.
We’ve seen what happens when that dependency isn’t addressed early enough. As a result, commissioning delays appear where nobody expected them. Handover dates become more fragile. And perhaps most visibly, residents move into buildings that aren’t fully operational on day one.
That matters more than it used to. Our report shows that 31% of residents want faster broadband, and 25% say they need a more reliable connection. In BTR, that isn’t just a technical shortfall. It hits reviews, renewals and ultimately asset performance directly.
The practical shift here is straightforward with a simple change in mindset. Plan connectivity early, as part of the core infrastructure and have it live at handover.
For developers, that means asking a slightly different question at the outset: not “who is providing broadband?” but “who owns connectivity from day one?”
For landlords and operators, it often comes down to how complexity is managed over time. More than 80% of respondents across the report said they prefer a fully managed BTR connectivity provider. That preference reflects experience. Managing multiple suppliers across infrastructure, support and smart systems introduces friction at exactly the point where buildings need to perform.
A single managed partner changes that dynamic. One point of accountability from design through to operation. One service that supports both the building systems and the resident experience. And importantly, one less operational burden on teams already balancing competing priorities.
Build to Rent Connectivity in Action
The build-to-rent connectivity use cases are already visible across the sector. In BTR schemes, a planned network enables access control systems to function reliably from the first day, reducing manual workarounds for site teams. Smart energy systems can be monitored and optimised immediately, rather than coming online in phases. Residents connect as they walk through the door, without waiting for activation or support.
In practice, that means fewer early-stage complaints, less strain on onsite teams and a smoother transition from construction to operation.
It’s also worth noting where the industry has been. For a long time, BTR connectivity was treated as a feature to enhance a scheme, something to differentiate at the margins. What the report shows is that this framing no longer reflects reality. Connectivity now underpins how buildings function, not just how developers market them.
A gap still exists between that understanding and how teams deliver projects. However, it’s narrowing.
The developers who are getting ahead of this are not necessarily those investing the most in technology. They make earlier decisions, aligning connectivity with the rest of the infrastructure, and choose delivery models that reduce risk at handover rather than introducing it.
It’s a quieter shift than some of the headline innovations in the sector, but for BTR connectivity, it’s arguably a more fundamental one. Because when BTR connectivity works as it should, nobody notices; the building simply runs. The systems perform. Residents get on with their lives.
And that moment on move-in day passes without issue, which is exactly the point.
If you’re planning a BTR scheme and want to get connectivity right from day one, download the full 2026 report and get in touch with our team. We’d love to help.
Wifinity is a managed connectivity supplier and residential specialist, providing services for BTR, later living, student/PBSA, social housing and other multi-tenant developments. We provide networks and rapid connectivity solutions to construction firms, property owners, managers, landlords and FM service providers. Contact [email protected]