Contributed Article

A recent study from the Bulk Broadband Alliance found bulk arrangements provide lower costs, greater competition, and expanded connectivity.

By: Valerie M. Sargent, Broadband Communities, and Kevin Donnelly, RETTC

As policymakers continue to focus on broadband affordability and closing the digital divide, a new study released by the Bulk Broadband Alliance (BBA) is bringing renewed attention to the role bulk broadband arrangements play in delivering lower costs, stronger competition, and expanded connectivity across multifamily housing communities.

The study, Understanding Bulk Billing Arrangements, was conducted by the telecommunications consulting firm Cartesian, and was submitted to the Federal Communications Commission as part of the agency’s 2026 Communications Marketplace Report proceeding (GN Docket No. 26-78). The findings provide one of the most comprehensive empirical analyses to date on how bulk broadband models impact consumers living in multi-dwelling units (MDUs), including apartment communities, condominiums, senior housing, student housing, and homeowner associations.

The results are significant. According to the study, bulk broadband arrangements deliver high speed internet service at prices more than 50 percent below comparable retail offerings, generating a conservatively estimated $5.6 billion in annual consumer savings nationwide.

Broadband as essential infrastructure

During the initial briefing announcing the study on May 21, 2026, it was emphasized that broadband has evolved beyond convenience into a critical utility supporting nearly every aspect of modern life.

Broadband is no longer a luxury. In today’s connected world, broadband serves as critical infrastructure supporting education, employment, healthcare access, digital services, and the evolving expectations of residents and consumers alike.

The Bulk Broadband Alliance includes organizations representing housing providers, broadband operators, and consumer-focused stakeholders, including the Real Estate Technology & Transformation Center (RETTC), the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), the National Apartment Association (NAA), ACA Connects, EducationSuperHighway, and the Community Associations Institute.

There is a growing recognition that bulk broadband and managed Wi-Fi arrangements are already helping millions of residents access reliable high-speed connectivity at lower overall costs.

Understanding the bulk broadband model

Bulk broadband arrangements differ from traditional retail internet service models in several important ways. Rather than residents individually contracting with an internet service provider (ISP), a housing community negotiates service collectively through a competitive request-for-proposal process.

Under these agreements, broadband service is generally included as part of rent or a community amenity fee, similar to some utilities or shared property services. Residents move into homes that are already connected, eliminating installation delays, setup fees, and many logistical barriers commonly associated with retail broadband activation.

According to Cartesian Principal Theresa Myers, who led the presentation of the study findings, these arrangements create substantial economic efficiencies.

“When you are comparing comparable bulk plans to retail plans, we found that bulk pricing was generally more than 50 percent lower,” Myers explained during the briefing. “Even beyond monthly pricing, residents avoid many of the non-recurring fees associated with retail service, such as installation charges or early termination fees.”

The study found that one-gigabit internet-only bulk plans averaged 54 percent lower than comparable promotional retail pricing, while bundled internet and video offerings averaged 62 percent lower.

Competition drives better outcomes

One of the study’s most notable findings challenges a common misconception surrounding bulk arrangements and consumer choice.

Using FCC broadband data, Cartesian found that bulk-served MDUs averaged 5.7 competing facilities-based wireline ISPs, compared to 2.2 competing providers in traditionally served retail MDUs.

The reason, according to the study, is scale.

Because providers can secure service agreements covering entire communities, additional broadband operators are often willing to invest in infrastructure and compete for contracts that may not otherwise justify deployment costs on a unit-by-unit basis. This increases the number of providers willing to bid for service opportunities and encourages infrastructure investment in multifamily housing.

The study also noted that these arrangements frequently result in upgraded property infrastructure, including fiber deployment, common-area Wi-Fi, smart home technologies, and enhanced service level agreements.

Addressing affordability and the digital divide

The report also highlighted the role bulk broadband plays in reducing adoption barriers for vulnerable populations, including low-income households, seniors, and students.

By eliminating credit checks, reducing upfront costs, simplifying installation, and providing predictable pricing, bulk arrangements can make broadband access more attainable for residents who may otherwise struggle to connect.

Myers noted that governments and nonprofit organizations increasingly use bulk arrangements as a practical mechanism for deploying broadband in affordable housing communities because of their operational efficiency and lower cost structure.

These findings arrive as policymakers continue to examine broadband affordability initiatives, including reforms to the Universal Service Fund and broader digital equity efforts.

Informing policy discussions

The timing of the study is especially important given recent regulatory debates surrounding bulk billing arrangements.

In 2024, then-FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a proposal that would have explored additional regulation of bulk billing agreements, though the proposal was never brought before the full commission. Shortly after taking office in 2025, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ended consideration of the proposal, noting concerns that additional regulation could significantly increase broadband costs for apartment residents.

The Bulk Broadband Alliance is now urging the FCC to formally incorporate the study’s findings into the FCC’s Communications Marketplace Report and reaffirm earlier conclusions recognizing the pro-consumer and pro-competitive benefits of bulk arrangements.

Brian Hurley, senior vice president of legal and regulatory affairs for ACA Connects, emphasized that the new research provides a stronger underpinning for those conclusions.

“The Cartesian study provides a strong empirical foundation to assess and understand these benefits,” Hurley said during the briefing.

Looking ahead

The data speaks for itself. As housing communities continue to evolve into increasingly connected environments, collective broadband models may play an even larger role in supporting affordability, infrastructure investment, and consumer access. For multifamily owners, broadband providers, and policymakers alike, the study reinforces a broader point: scale matters.

For the Bulk Broadband Alliance and its members, the goal is clear: amplify the message to ensure policymakers fully understand how these arrangements function in practice, and how they continue to benefit millions of residents nationwide. Everyone should have the ability to access high quality, more affordable broadband across all facets of housing, and bulk broadband makes it possible.

Kevin Donnelly is Executive Director and Chief Advocacy Officer for the Real Estate Technology & Transformation Center (RETTC) and can be reached at kdonnelly@rettc.org. Valerie M. Sargent is a multifamily speaker, trainer and executive consultant, and is the multifamily news correspondent for Broadband Communities. Contact her at http://www.valeriemsargent.com.

Get this news in your inbox. Subscribe to the Broadband Communities newsletter!