Hi,
As a board member I've contacted 5-6 fibre cable providers and they only offer packages for the entire condo if you have fewer than 200 units. For a high-rise they draw the cable, then sell to each individual tenant.
This means the condominium would have to pay for internet for all units. Today, each unit pays $60 for crappy internet and $150 for proper internet. With fibre, the owners would pay $30 for proper internet. The catch is that it's not a choice to be made.
Do you have any experiences or opinions about condos with free internet for all? I'm sure tenants and residents would be happy. But what about investors?
Investors have tenants and I assume that if a rental unit offers "free" internet they can charge a higher rent to cover this. A larger problem is surely that many people are quite happy with 'crappy internet' as they use it very little so you may only get agreement from owners to offer a very basic package (slow speeds) and those wanting 'proper internet' will still have to pay a 'supplement'. There is also a problem that some people are very keen to use Bell, others to use Rogers and getting agreement from your owners on which company to use will be 'interesting'. As you would be offering am enhancement to the common services offered through your maintenance fees you need to be sure most owners actually want this.
Section 97 of The Act makes this quite clear:
Changes made on notice
(3) A corporation may make an addition, alteration or improvement to the common elements, a change in the assets of the corporation
or a change in a service that the corporation provides to the owners if,
(a) the corporation has sent a notice to the owners that,
(i) describes the proposed addition, alteration, improvement or change,
(ii) contains a statement of the estimated cost of the proposed addition, alteration, improvement or change indicating the manner in which the corporation proposes to pay the cost,
(iii) specifies that the owners have the right, in accordance with section 46 and within 30 days of receiving the notice, to requisition a meeting of owners, and
(iv) contains a copy of section 46 and this section; and
(b) one of the following conditions has been met:
1. The owners have not requisitioned a meeting in accordance with section 46 within 30 days of receiving a notice under clause (a).
2. The owners have requisitioned a meeting in accordance with section 46 within 30 days of receiving a notice under clause (a) but have not voted against the proposed addition, alteration, improvement or change at the meeting. 1998, c. 19, s. 97 (3).
