September 23, 2019 by Mike Phillips

Connectivity Is Coworking's Crown Jewel

Connectivity has become the defining factor in modern coworking spaces. While traditional building infrastructure like plumbing can tolerate outages, connectivity failures have immediate and severe business consequences.

According to Fora's Director of Technology and Innovation James Scerri, "It is all about the user experience, which needs to be absolutely seamless."

A representative from Workspace Group illustrated the critical nature of connectivity in tenant retention. While plumbing outages generate minimal complaints, connectivity disruptions prompt immediate departures. As one operator noted, "If the WiFi or mobile signal cuts out for five or 10 minutes, people get up and leave the building."

Rather than requiring individual tenants to arrange their own connectivity contracts, modern coworking operators manage this critical infrastructure in-house. This approach enables rapid occupancy and operational continuity. As operators explain, "It means you can move in to the property and be up and running the same day."

Planning for Future Growth

Recognizing that connectivity demands continue to escalate, forward-thinking operators like Fora have implemented infrastructure capable of supporting tenfold growth. This planning is based on research predicting 22% annual increases in WiFi capacity requirements and 53% annual increases in mobile coverage demand.

Rather than testing connectivity before full buildout, operators like Fora test comprehensively after complete buildout and monitor provider data on a monthly basis to ensure sustained performance and capacity planning.

As connectivity continues to define competitive advantage in the coworking sector, operators who prioritize seamless, scalable infrastructure will drive tenant satisfaction and retention in an increasingly connected workplace.