Two recent 2011 corporate office space search assignments included strict requirements for high-quality data plans. They could only consider relocation sites in the Route 3 commercial space corridor north of Boston that had either Comcast Business Services or Verizon FIOS connectivity actually installed to the buildings being considered.
This requirement eliminated quite a few high quality class A and class B+ office buildings in Burlington (for Comcast Business Services – no service) from consideration; and many R&D buildings in Bedford/Billerica (for Verizon FIOS – no service). Many of these buildings were otherwise very appropriate, and they were owned by motivated landlords. However, the lack of robust high-speed connectivity and the lack of certainty of when such service would be available eliminated them from consideration.
In previous years a T-1 line or DSL service available would meet the connectivity needs of start-up and/or expanding technology companies. These older technology services have now proven themselves to be more expensive and less capable of meeting many current technology client requirements. It is wise to understand each building’s IT capacity at the commencement of any current day search for a new technology company’s office space – or pay a price in wasted time negotiating for space that cannot or will not immediately meet these needs.