Student Housing Developer Talks Technology

Excerpt from Student Housing Business
to be released late Fall.

According to recent studies, high bandwidth access is one of the most sought after amenities for students. But many student housing professionals are overwhelmed by attempting to determine the best way to go about ensuring the quality of the technology available at their properties.

Tell me about the Flats of Kernan. What inspired the concept of this property? 
Frankly, the Flats at Kernan was originally planned to be condominiums for students, but with the market conditions changing in 2007-2008 and the abundance of for-sale product in Jacksonville, we changed our concept to a rental student property.

What were the most important aspects of the property?
Besides proximity to campus, amenities and technology were the two most important features we wanted to invest in on this property.

One of the Flats’ most prominent amenities is its fiber-optic network. What first prompted you into looking into including that in your property? 
We began our design knowing that we wanted to incorporate the latest and greatest technology infrastructure and service for our student residents. I was in search of something more robust than the standard DSL or broadband service not only from a perspective of bandwidth, but also dependability and customer service. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised that we could get both a superior data product and an expanded video lineup at a competitive price.

You partnered with Connexion Technologies to build your fiber-optic network. What initially led you to choose them? I knew that Connexion has a presence in the Jacksonville market. I was able to visit local properties, observe the infrastructure, and understand how the installation would be handled. Research was done and references were checked; it was a thoroughly thought out decision. 

Connexion Technologies is not a service provider, rather a fiber-optic network builder and manager. How was working with them different from working with a traditional service provider? Connexion was very organized in each core competency required to get our property live. From the initial engineering and design, to construction, and then to installation and operation, each department was both timely and professional.