According to Nielsen, Americans spend 34 hours and 21 minutes a month on their mobile phones, with 12% of this time spent on communications – text messages, phone calls, etc. People are obsessed with being connected 24/7, and mobile phones are the gateway to this connection. In fact, Americans are spending more time on their cell phone than on computers, and 41% of Americans have disconnected from landline phones altogether. So what happens when your apartment building doesn’t have cell service?
No Service? No Deal
As people rely on their cell phones more and more for all forms of communication, strong cell service is an important must-have for those on the apartment search. In a recent New York Times article, “If I Can’t Text, I’m Moving,” Michelle Higgins discusses the challenge NYC building developers are facing – making sure there is reliable service in every apartment or else renters will look elsewhere. In fact, Michael Graves—an associate broker at Douglas Ellison—has noticed more and more clients commenting on the number of bars they are receiving at each apartment showing. If there is bad service, many apartment hunters rate the apartment lower—even if it has other things they are looking for.
Tackling This Problem
As new apartment buildings are being developed in NYC, cell service is being taken into account by developers. New buildings can install antenna systems for $1 to $3 per square foot—an expensive solution that is only feasible in buildings with high rent. Even with these antennas, service is not always reliable on all floors of the building, leaving many renters on a constant search to find bars.
Reaching 911 With No Bars
So what happens if you are in an emergency situation and you live in an old building without antennas, or live on a floor with no service? You will be left in an unsafe situation with no landline, no cell service, and no ability to call 911—unless you have RapidSOS Haven. Haven is a mobile solution that, among other features, has the ability to transmit your location, type of emergency, and relevant medical/demographic information to 911 dispatchers over WI-FI or Bluetooth—no need for cellular service. When searching for an apartment, renters with Haven no longer need to worry about having service in an emergency situation and instead can focus their energy on all the other worries that come with renting an apartment in New York City.
Download Haven today!
{{cta(‘34925faf-f168-42e5-a17f-d8a05eea693f’)}} {{cta(‘e160a92d-1568-4313-bfb6-632acf3d47e0’)}}