Multifamily residents who received internet service through their property reported more technical problems and lower satisfaction than those who bought service directly from a broadband provider, according to a new white paper from Parks Associates.

The study — titled “Beyond Connectivity: Securing the Modern Resident Experience,” and produced in partnership with Calix — found that about one-third of U.S. internet households lived in multifamily settings.

According to Parks Associates, 70% of bulk internet households had experienced at least one tested service problem in the previous 90 days, compared with 55% of retail subscribers. Outages were the most common complaint, cited by 30% of bulk households and 25% of retail households.

Other findings in the multifamily internet study included:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) for bulk internet fell from -6 in the fourth quarter of 2025 to -10.8 in the first quarter of 2026, while the score for retail internet rose from 9.5 to 13.
• Apartment renters on bulk plans reported average download speeds of 506 Mbps, compared with 708 Mbps for apartment renters with retail service.
• Residents with no service problems had an NPS of 31, while those with five or more problems had an NPS of -35.
• Bulk households were less likely than retail households to describe their service as reliable (49% vs. 64%) or to say they trusted their provider (36% vs. 51%), though more bulk households said they paid a fair price (47% vs. 41%).
• About a quarter of home internet households reported having a whole-home cybersecurity service, but only 8% said they received it from their broadband provider.

The study also found that residents of multifamily housing with a router or gateway inside their unit reported fewer internet issues and a higher NPS than those relying on shared gateways. Parks Associates said technical problems now had a greater effect on NPS than download speed.