By Taylor Jones
I have been building bulk internet networks for more than 20 years. One thing has become clear to me over time: Owners are being asked to make infrastructure decisions that are perceived as technical, expensive and challenging to compare with other options in the marketplace.
It is easy to feel like the only “safe” choice is fiber-optic cable throughout the building. While fiber is excellent technology and belongs in many projects, it is not the only path to a strong, modern, future-ready property. What follows is the guide I wish every multifamily owner had when starting a project.
Industry Idea: ‘I Need Fiber in Every Unit for My Property to Stay Competitive’
Fiber is fantastic for long distances and long-term capacity. Inside a building, though, the resident experience has less to do with fiber and more to do with design, electronics, Wi-Fi placement and support. Cat6A copper (a type of copper ethernet cable) can deliver 10 gigabit speeds for more than 300 feet. That is more than enough for the typical in-building run.
Fiber works best as the main pipeline that feeds a large building, but it doesn’t have to run into every unit to deliver fast, reliable internet. Owners do not have to choose a single approach across their entire portfolio. There are realistic, flexible middle paths.
Industry Assumption: ‘Copper is Old Technology’
Copper cabling has advanced significantly. Cat6A, a widely used copper ethernet standard, supports speeds up to 10 gigabits, which is more than sufficient for most tenants’ in-unit needs. It also supports Power over Ethernet (PoE), allowing Wi-Fi access points and renters’ IoT devices to receive both data and power through a single cable, eliminating the need for additional electrical work. Technicians understand Cat6A, and replacement components are readily available.
As a result, copper is still the most common horizontal cabling inside multifamily buildings, even new Class A developments. Owners often underestimate how much capability is already built into Cat6A and how often it is used in new builds. It offers a practical balance of speed, reliability and cost efficiency.
Industry Blind Spot: ‘If I Choose Wrong, I Am Stuck with It for Decades’
What matters more than the specific cable choice is pathway planning.
If your building is designed with adequate conduits (the physical tubes that carry cable), risers (the vertical pathways between floors) and well-placed access points, you can change electronics or add new wireless upgrades without major construction. The most expensive mistakes I see are not cable choices. They are poor pathways that make future updates painful.
Overbuilding pathways is more valuable than overspecifying cable. Pathways give you flexibility. Pathways allow you to adapt as resident expectations shift. Residents may eventually demand multi-gigabit speeds, but they do not demand them today. Sufficient conduits and riser capacity ensure you can respond later with far less cost and disruption when those expectation do arise in the future.
Industry Shortcut: ‘Just Copy What Worked at the Last Property’
Every asset has a unique mix of architecture, market conditions and operational goals. Network design should reflect these distinctions.
A luxury high-rise with structured risers may justify running fiber to each unit. A 150-unit workforce community may be better served by a hybrid design that balances performance with cost control. A 20-year-old, garden-style property might require an approach that avoids opening walls altogether.
Retrofit costs routinely run one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half times higher per drop than new construction. That cost difference makes a copy-and-paste approach from a prior project a risky strategy. Owners should match infrastructure decisions to the physical realities of their building, not simply to the latest industry buzzwords.
Industry Oversight: ‘Residents Will Be Happier if It is Fiber’
Resident satisfaction has almost nothing to do with the type of cable in the walls. It is driven by Wi-Fi performance, uptime and the speed and quality of support when something goes wrong.
A perfectly engineered fiber network will still underperform if the Wi-Fi design is flawed. Conversely, a Cat6A-based network paired with strong managed service will consistently outperform a fiber network with weak operational support every time.
Residents remember whether streaming worked. They remember whether video calls dropped. They do not remember whether fiber or copper was in their walls. Owners should put far more emphasis on service quality and network monitoring than on headline speeds.
Practical Guidance for Owners Making Infrastructure Decisions
Build pathways with room to grow so future upgrades don’t require invasive construction. For most new-construction Wi-Fi deployments, expect to budget roughly $1,250 to $2,000 per unit with smaller properties often falling at the higher end of that range on a per-unit basis.
Use fiber for risers and backbones, especially where large amounts of bandwidth need to more efficiently through the building.
Consider Cat6A for in-unit runs unless the building’s architecture or project type specifically calls for fiber to the unit.
Most importantly, avoid overbuilding cable while underinvesting in operational support. Long-term success is defined less by headline speeds and more by uptime, coverage consistency and the resident experience.
After 20 years in this space, I can say with confidence that owners do not need a single type of cable to stay competitive. They need a balanced, flexible design that supports the resident experience and the operational goals of the property.
The properties that age well are not the ones with the most expensive cable. They are the ones built with clarity, strong pathways and a support model that keeps residents connected every day.
Taylor Jones is president and chief technology officer for Elauwit Connection Inc.