At Commons on Potomac Square in Sterling, VA, residents were stuck in the slow lane. The 104-unit community was limited to outdated coaxial and twisted pair infrastructure, with only legacy cable and DSL services available. Bandwidth bottlenecks, reliability issues, and sluggish onboarding experiences were the norm.

That all changed when the property owner partnered with Internet Subway to deliver a complete, modern fiber-to-the-unit (FTTU) solution—introducing Next Gen Bulk Internet and transforming the digital experience for residents.

Bringing Fiber to Every Unit

Internet Subway engineered a complete network retrofit, upgrading antiquated infrastructure with a fiber-backed design that delivers:

• Dedicated fiber runs to every unit
• In-unit gateways with Wi-Fi-ready service from day one
• Multigigabit speed upgrdes available to residents (2.5, 5, and 8 Gbps)
• Move-in ready. A hands-free, automated activation process—no technician visits required

With a combination of precision fiber placement and custom in-unit installs, the Internet Subway team brought high-performance infrastructure to a legacy community—without the headaches.

Instant Connectivity, Long-Term NOI

Residents now enjoy:

• Seamless move-ins with pre-activated Wi-Fi
• Reliable, blazing-fast internet that supports streaming, gaming, work-from-home, and more
• The ability to upgrade tiers instantly via self-service portal
• 24/7 friendly support

And for the property owner, the numbers speak for themselves:

• Owner pays bulk service rate: $30/unit/month (1 Gbps)
• Resident pays the property (included in lease package): $85/month
• NOI uplift: $55/unit/month → $660/unit/year
• Cap rate value creation (5.5%): $660 ÷ 0.055 = $12,000/unit
• CapEx investment (retrofit): ~$1,400/unit
• Net value added per unit: $10,600
• Total property value created: $1.1M+

Stepping Things Up In Sterling

One unique challenge at Commons on Potomac Square was the lack of available indoor space to house Internet Subway’s XGS-PON distribution equipment. With no suitable telecom closets on-site, the solution came in the form of a climate-controlled outdoor telecom cabinet, purpose-built to host the network’s headend. Outfitted with dedicated Dominion Energy power service and a standby generator, the cabinet ensures reliable, 24/7 operation, even in the event of a power outage, delivering carrier-grade performance in a compact, site-optimized footprint. The transformation at Commons on Potomac Square didn’t just upgrade internet speeds, it redefined what residents can expect from their home connectivity experience. And by future-proofing with fiber, the property is now positioned to support smart home features, connected operations, and resident satisfaction for years to come.

From dated DSL to gigabit glory—Internet Subway delivered.

Ready to bring the heat to your community?
Contact us to learn how our Next Gen Bulk model turns underperforming infrastructure into NOI-generating assets.