Location is—and may always be—the most important factor in an office search, but more and more tenants are prioritizing highly reliable network connections that can improve efficiency and are an essential part of any company's daily operations. Simply put, we're living in the world of the "hyper-connected business" that relies on cloud computing, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, video conferencing and other high-bandwidth applications to expand their business all over the world. Developers, building owners and property managers have to recognize this trend if they want to attract and retain tenants, and Comcast Business (shown: Comcast's Cumberland office) points out five reasons why your building should provide reliable Internet.

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Simple Economics

The workplace is changing and reliable Internet is in demand. Company emails are in the cloud and video conferencing is a regular occurrence. With such high demand, the buildings with the strongest supply will be the most attractive to tenants. In a 2011 survey, 90% of building owners and property managers stated advanced communications services were the fourth-most important selling point, behind only price, parking and location.

Everything's Faster with Fiber

Everyone has experienced the frustration and existential dread that comes with slow Internet, especially when you're working on something for your business or on a deadline. Ethernet networks using fiber can enable super-fast connections up to 10 gigabits per second (10,240 megabits per second). To put this in perspective, Georgia's average Internet speed (according to a 2014 Business Insider study) is 10.7 megabits per second.

Getting The Advantage

With so many buildings on the rise, building owners and property managers need to find any advantage they can to stick out. According to a recent survey, 61% of building owners and managers believe advanced communication services in their buildings gave their properties a competitive advantage, regardless of their square footage under management or property type. This response was even greater, at 71%, in the South.

Scalable, Flexible, Adjustable and Guaranteed

Internet can help businesses grow, and Ethernet allows businesses to increase their bandwidth as they grow and get even faster speed, if needed.

Options Are Attractive

Businesses love when they can pick their service providers. In fact, according to a recent survey, one out of every two building owners and property managers say having the choice of multiple service providers boosted occupancy rates up to 19%. Not only can multiple service providers give tenants options for different services, plans, prices and service agreements, but it also gives them the ability to switch providers at any time, as well as critical redundancy and load balancing to maximize overall performance.