There will be fewer limits on what services a telecommunications company can provide. Phone companies will be able to provide video services. Cable companies will provide phone service. And everybody will provide high-speed Internet access. Rental housing providers are trying to understand what this all means for their properties and their residents.
Owners are concerned about being able to offer competitive service for their residents.
They are also concerned about investing heavily in technology that may be outdated before it is even functioning. The federal government is also concerned about these changes, and wants to ensure that everybody has access to the latest technology, and the information that comes with it. In an effort to achieve this goal, and in response to the deregulation of the telecommunications industry, the government is considering regulating the real estate industry with regard to telecommunications. The Federal Communications Commission is considering changes that might force apartment and other real estate owners to give unlimited access to telecommunications companies to install their equipment in multi-tenant buildings for little or no cost, and without oversight or consent from the owners. The Real Estate Alliance, a group of 11 National real estate trade associations, contends the move is inappropriate, runs counter to free market practices and is unconstitutional.