BTR connectivity is now on the critical path. The industry is catching up 

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 first set of keys handed over. It’s move-in day, when residents arrive, devices in hand and expect everything to work. 

According to our 2026 Connectivity Report, produced in partnership with BE News and Ruckus, that moment is still too often where things can unravel.  

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 recommend that digital infrastructure is thought about as another utility, alongside water, gas and electricity. It’s a simple idea, but it changes the conversation. 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. They are designed, delivered and relied upon as core infrastructure. 

Connectivity is now firmly in that category. 

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, they don’t perform as intended. 

We’ve seen what happens when that dependency isn’t addressed early enough. Commissioning delays appear where they weren’t expected. 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 also shows that 31% of residents feel their broadband needs to be faster, and 25% say it needs to be more reliable. In BTR, that isn’t just a technical shortfall. It feeds directly into reviews, renewals and ultimately asset performance. 

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 is responsible for ensuring the building is operational from a connectivity perspective on 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 service provider. That preference reflects experience. Managing multiple suppliers across infrastructure, support and smart systems introduces friction at exactly the point where buildings need to run smoothly. 

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. 

The 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 brought 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, 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 they are marketed. 

There is still a gap between that understanding and how projects are delivered. But it’s narrowing. 

The developers who are getting ahead of this are not necessarily those investing the most in technology. They are the ones making earlier decisions, aligning connectivity with the rest of the infrastructure, and choosing 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 arguably a more fundamental one. Because when connectivity works as it should, it’s invisible. The building 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. 

Wifinity is a managed connectivity supplier and residential specialist. We provider networks and rapid connectivity solutions to construction firms, property owners, managers, landlords and FM service providers. Contact buildtorent@wifinity.co.uk 

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