Report „BROADBAND AND THE REAL ESTATE PRICES”

The report "Broadbank and the real estate prices. A review of research and trends in Poland and abroad" was published in July 2022. It is the result of cooperation with our long-term partner, Nexera, one of the leading wholesale suppliers of fiber optic networks. Together, we noticed that in the Polish infosphere there are virtually no reliable studies describing the relationship between the value of real estate and access to high-speed internet, especially fiber optic internet. 

Read the report: Raport: Dostęp do szybkiego internetu a wartość nieruchomości - InsightOut Lab 

Objectives 

The aim of preparing the report was to support business decisions by filling the gap in knowledge about the impact of high-speed internet access on the value of real estate. We were looking for an answer to the question of whether access to high-speed internet affects the value of the property, and if so, how much more are people willing to pay for a property with broadband Internet access? 

These questions have become increasingly important in the new social circumstances, as the pandemic has made the internet an even more important tool for work, entertainment and learning. The issue of availability for fast and stable data transfer was also becoming more and more important. Among the available technologies, the development of fiber optic infrastructure is becoming an almost obvious solution to meet the rapidly growing needs of customers. 

Action 

As part of the project, we reviewed European and American research to find reliable descriptions of the development of Internet accessibility in individual countries. The search was focused on data answering question of how the high-speed internet in a given location can affect buying apartment. We have also done thorough research on Polish market, which is part of the global trend – we need "more and more internet". We collected data on this subject from several European countries and the USA, and conducted a social survey in Poland. 

One of the pillars of the Polish part of the report is a dedicated survey on a group of over a thousand Poles. In addition to profiling the respondents, where we asked, for example, how much time they spend on the Internet, we asked participants to also refer to the topic of the network in the context of real estate. The results clearly showed that access to high-speed internet is one of the key criteria when choosing an apartment. What's more, a significant part of statistical Poles is ready to pay extra-money if a given location has a fast connection. Therefore, in the context of digitization and further economic development, Poland must increase saturation with fiber optic links. 

Effects 

The information gathered and the study show that properties covered by high-speed Internet are gaining in value, and buyers or tenants are willing to pay for such a real estate. Apartments or houses offering "connectivity" at a higher level are more popular among consumers. On the other hand, the lack of access to fast and stable Internet can lead to resignation from buying or renting. In Poland, 1/3 of citizens believe that the most important factor when choosing an apartment is access to high-speed Internet. 

It can be assumed that the impact of Internet availability on the value of real estate will increase as socio-cultural, economic and technological trends (described in the second chapter of this report) intensify. At the same time, social pressure to increase the availability of high-speed Internet, related to the spread of remote work, will grow. 

It can be assumed that the impact of Internet availability on the value of real estate will increase as socio-cultural, economic and technological trends (described in the second chapter of the report) intensify. At the same time, social pressure to increase the availability of high-speed Internet, related to the spread of remote work, will grow. 

The report received a lot of media attention in the areas of telko, tech, business and real estate. We recorded a total of about 50 publications inter alia Antyweb.pl, Benchmark.pl, ISBtech.pl, HouseMarket.pl, RynekInwestycji.pl and GSMonline.pl as well as in local newspapers published by Polska Press. Our report was referred to by a spokesperson for Office of Electronic Communications. The phrases internet/real estate/report (and similar) entered into the Google search engine link to our report on the first page. According to IMM, the ave of the report amounted to PLN 150,000 and the reach was 70,000.