In the not-so-distant past, ultra-high-speed internet was seen as a luxury. But those days are long gone. The emergence of streaming media, smart gadgets and videoconferencing changed our home internet needs in a big way, and there’s no turning back.

Today, blazing-fast, reliable internet is a household necessity and every bit as essential to daily life as utilities like electricity, water and natural gas. And for renters who are paying for a premium experience, it’s a basic expectation.

If you’re looking to increase resident satisfaction and retention, reliable fiber internet is a sure win. In a three-bedroom unit, for example, tenant A can stream a movie while tenant B is playing video games with someone across the hall or around the world—all while tenant C video chats with their parents five area codes away. And the internet won’t even break a sweat.

Here’s why fiber internet is a must-add amenity for your complex.

Higher bandwidth
Fiber internet gives your tenants high speeds and wide bandwidth, two qualities essential to handling big jobs like videoconferencing and gaming. Fiber sends large amounts of data information at the speed of light, enabling a seamless experience. There’s so much bandwidth, in fact, that even a marathon gaming session will leave plenty left for their roommates.

Faster symmetrical downloads and uploads
Some internet providers do a funny thing with internet speed: They’ll give you decent download speeds, which is how quickly information reaches your computer. But they’ll put the brakes on upload speeds, or the time it takes for information to reach the servers that route to computers around the world. With symmetrical speeds—meaning your download and upload speeds are relatively consistent—any online activity moves smoothly.

Low latency and ping rate
Fiber internet is also associated with low latency, which is the delay in sending and receiving data. There isn’t one single cause of latency—the distance the information has to travel, your internet speed and the performance of your router all contribute. Ping rate is the measure of latency, and the lower the number, the better for online gaming. To make sure they never miss a shot, pay attention to this often-overlooked internet statistic.

No data caps
What’s the worst that could happen while gaming, after bandwidth, asymmetrical speeds and high ping rate rob your experience? Having someone pull the plug completely. Yes, it’s surprising that some internet providers still place a limit on how much data users can access on a home internet plan. (Not C Spire.)

Give your residents the reliability and speed of fiber internet with an ad-free experience and 24/7 cyber protection to block intrusions and malicious traffic​. Learn more here.