The power of planning: laying the groundwork for community connectivity

Community land development projects—especially larger ones—involve numerous companies, consultants, contractors, real-estate professionals, and government agencies. The mutual goal: to offer attractive homes that provide buyers with significant value for price, are also good investments over time, and—increasingly important—technologically futureproof for years to come.

“Homeownership is the most expensive asset people will buy in their lifetime, and they naturally want to get the most from it,” said John Warnick, owner of Celeritas, a consulting firm that works with internet service providers (ISPs) like Quantum Fiber and builders to deliver high-value bulk agreements for fiber internet to communities. “Our job is to carefully plan to maximize the investments of homeowners with solutions that might otherwise take years to implement.”

This means that high-speed, fiber-optic internet technology is not optional. Warnick explains how to bring all involved parties together to plan early for a successful fiber installation and how to plan in anticipation of future needs.

Crafting a fiber strategy for master-planned communities

Warnick proudly built his company and business model around “Celeritas” which is the “speed of light.”  Thinking of the velocity of the future and of fiber-optic technology, Celeritas starts in the planning phase and then handles the technical and administrative complexities for the developers and HOAs.

When engaging with stakeholders, Celeritas has a proven formula for community connectivity success.

Determine residents’ needs

The first step in planning is to understand what residents want and need. What’s their priority when it comes to connectivity? “Speed,” said Warnick, “and expecting it to always work.”

They also want to get value for their money, said Warnick. This is where partnerships with ISPs like Quantum Fiber and bulk fiber contracts come in.

“People want a deal,” said Warnick. “And we’re really good at coming in and leveraging the size of the community and the strength of our relationship with the ISP to get that for them.”

Enable collaboration between everyone with skin in the game

Next, educate all stakeholders about the benefits of fiber, optimal wireless access-point placement, and internal wiring. Close collaboration between partners on top of that is critical: between land developers and builders; between builders and ISPs; between ISPs and community managers; and between community managers and residents.

Anticipate challenges

Before any work begins, Warnick’s team also studies the environment, regulatory landscape, and relevant legal issues such as land rights to anticipate any challenges that might arise.

Take all-important conduit crossings. Conduit crossings are protective pipes installed under obstacles like roads, driveways, or sidewalks that permit fiber-optic cables to pass safely from one side of an obstacle to the other without disturbing the surface. These installations involve often-complicated negotiations with land sellers and builders who may be reluctant to take on legal obligations. “We go to great lengths to come up with unique solutions that overcome these hurdles to ensure fiber can be successfully installed throughout a community,” said Warnick.

Some details can be easily overlooked, Warnick explained. Developers, HOA managers, or residents can decide whether they want internet by the pool or in a different area of the property, but don’t think about the implications when they ask for it late in the game. “Developers have already planned paths, built roads, and finished the landscaping, but now they have to worry about underground wiring,” he said.

The internal wiring inside each home must also be considered. Although wireless pucks and WiFi extenders can work when, say, the modem is downstairs, hardline wiring is always best. “If you’ve already finished the internal wiring, you’re drilling holes and messing up the aesthetics of a brand-new home to get the internet speed and connectivity you want,” said Warnick. “Taking a couple extra minutes of thought at the beginning of a project to install inexpensive wiring during construction can avoid costly—and disruptive—retrofits.”

Upgrade aging infrastructure

Often, ISPs must replace older technology, such as DSL lines, when upgrading communities to fiber. This process involves installing updated routers and access points to maintain service quality for residents.

“Technologies in older communities age to the point where they’re well behind the times,” said Warnock. “When we’re engaged with a community like that, we go forward carefully.”

Always think ahead

Celeritas always encourages builders to go beyond minimum requirements to prepare homes for currently unknown future needs. For example, a detached garage could eventually be used as an office, or the space above it may ultimately become an in-law apartment. Auxiliary spaces like these should be wired with fiber to prepare for eventualities.

Upcoming smart community innovations can benefit from this, too. Using smart streetlights to assist first responders and tracking utility data for regulatory compliance illustrates the expanding role of fiber technology in community management.

While in some regions, developers still view internet like any basic utility that only has to be “good enough,” many developers in Utah have come to see it as critical infrastructure.

Because of its location in Utah’s high-tech hub of Silicon Slopes, located along the Wasatch Front, many buyers moving in are tech-savvy workers whose livelihood depends on robust connectivity. “Residents here assume that fiber or multi-gigabit speed is available or would see it as a major flaw if it weren’t,” Warnick quickly surmises.

According to Warnick, developers and builders should be acutely aware of how fast connectivity technology is evolving. “Buyers can be searching for fiber-connected homes, or the capacity to easily upgrade beyond gigabit speeds,” he said. “They’re not just thinking of what they need today. They want scalable infrastructure that can eventually support eight to ten gigabits per second (Gbps) services, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, as well as sophisticated smart-home ecosystems to effectively install smart locks, temperature sensors, security systems, and data-driven community management capabilities.”

Then there’s the rapid mainstream adoption of AI. This, too, impacts planners and developers. AI is driving increased bandwidth requirements, with new data hubs springing up around the country that necessitate robust infrastructure and fiber backbones to support the requirements of AI processing at acceptable speeds.

“AI is a game-changer when it comes to planning community infrastructure,” said Warnick.

Moving beyond the horizon with Quantum Fiber

Celeritas is partnering with Quantum Fiber on several new communities under construction in Utah County, northern Utah, and Idaho. Fiber-optic infrastructure will be integrated into the very foundation of these communities from the outset.

“We won’t have to drill new holes later. It’ll be ready for when the next technology comes out,” said Warnick. He’s very excited at the pace that new technologies are being introduced. “Things are going to pop up next year, or two years from now, that we can’t even fathom today,” he said.

Check out these related resources:

• FAQ: What’s important to know about a bulk agreement?
• Home developers and HOA’s are bulking up on NOI growth.
• Master planned communities can dream bigger with Fiber Multigigabit capabilities.

Testimonial based on existing Quantum Fiber and property relationship or provided as an endorsement when the parties have a marketing agreement.