Technology is the third most important consideration for when selecting a multi-tenant residence, according to a survey of Comcast customers conducted by Comcast’s Xfinity Communities division, which provides network services for multi-tenant properties. While extremely important, technology still falls behind price and location, but ahead of other considerations such as gyms, clubhouses, outdoor spaces, common areas and even the quality of schools/districts, according to the survey. Respondents from 26 years of age and up said that fast internet speed was the most important amenity a property could offer. After speed, older residents said they were most interested in ubiquitous Wi-Fi access, while younger residents (26-35) desire more smart connected home solutions, such as lights, door locks and thermostats. Other findings: Millennial residents’ satisfaction with speeds is nearly 20 points lower than the satisfaction of seniors.

On Feb 27, the first six of satellites of Greg Wyler's company, OneWeb, are expected to be launched from a remote launch site in French Guiana, a key step toward building out a constellation that could eventually reach nearly 2,000. If the company's plans are successful, it would be nothing short of revolutionary: becoming one of the world’s largest providers of Internet service by building the architecture in space, allowing the billions without access to Wi-Fi to finally use the Web. “The ultimate goal is to connect every school in the world, and bridge the digital divide,” Wyler said. “We’re bringing connectivity and enabling it for people around the world, and in rural populations.” If successful, remote areas all over the world, from Alaska to Africa, that are out of reach of fiber optic cables could suddenly join the world of Google and YouTube, a feat Wyler and others believe could be transformative. The key question: Can they deliver a product that competes and wins?

The Georgia state senate unanimously passed a bill Feb 25 aimed at making it easier for telecommunications companies to extend small-cell wireless broadband, the latest iteration of the technology, along public rights of way. Meanwhile, separate bills allowing Georgia's electric membership corporations to enter the broadband business, aimed primarily to increase broadband capacity in rural counties, also has cleared the House and won approval in a Senate committee. The 5G bill, which for the time being would benefit mostly urban and suburban communities, would standardize the permit application process statewide. While standardization would benefit the telecom industry by helping streamline applications, the legislation also has won support from groups representing cities and counties. Under a compromise reached between the telecoms, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association during seven months of talks, the bill would require the companies to place broadband antennas on decorative poles in areas designated as historic districts and keep them out of sight in neighborhoods with underground utilities.

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing a federal data privacy law -- and displayed the same political divide that appeared in a House hearing earlier in the week. Republicans and industry witnesses warned against a "patchwork" of potentially conflicting state privacy regimes, perhaps most notably the California privacy law that takes effect in 2020. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and various witnesses from the telecommunications and computer industries talked throughout about needing strong federal regulation, addressing concern that stronger state regulations would be preempted by weaker federal law based on giving consumers a clearer picture of how their data was being harvested and commoditized, rather than focused on the consumer first and the internet economy second. Everyone appeared to agree that the notice and choice regime doesn't work and that companies are incentivized to make privacy policies complicated so that users will overshare, as it were. But Republicans were talking up making those policies clearer, combined with more consumer control over the data -- rights to correct or delete -- for example.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that Alexander Sanjenis will serve as his acting media advisor. Sanjenis replaces Alison Nemeth Steger, who is departing the FCC. Sanjenis currently serves as a Legal Advisor in the front office of the Media Bureau, and previously served as a staff attorney in the Media Bureau’s Audio Division, where he focused on a wide range of broadcast policy issues including the licensing of translator, noncommercial educational and low power FM stations. Sanjenis graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. He earned his LLM from the American University Washington College of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.