Glossary

Bulk Telecom Glossary

The terms that come up when property owners evaluate bulk internet, TV, and phone — defined in plain English.

A plain-English glossary of the bulk telecom terms property owners, HOA boards, and managers encounter. Need help applying any of these to your property? Talk to an advisor.

MDU

Multi-Dwelling Unit — any property with multiple residences under one roof or ownership: apartments, condos, HOAs, student housing.

Bulk telecom agreement

A single internet/TV/phone contract negotiated for an entire property rather than unit by unit, unlocking wholesale pricing and a revenue share.

Revenue share

The recurring payment a carrier makes to a property owner under a bulk agreement, often expressed per unit per month.

Bulk billing credit

Another term for the carrier’s payment to the property, typically tied to guaranteed volume.

Door fee

A flat per-unit (per-door) payment from the carrier to the property, regardless of individual subscription.

Amenity model

A bulk structure where service is bundled into rent or HOA dues for every unit, maximizing pricing and revenue share.

Building-wide (bulk) agreement

A bulk agreement that covers every unit in the property, so the service is included for all residents — not an opt-in, unit-by-unit signup.

Common-area WiFi

WiFi the property provides in shared spaces — lobbies, gyms, pools, clubhouses — often enabled by the same building-wide agreement.

NOI

Net Operating Income — a property’s income after operating expenses. Bulk telecom revenue flows directly to NOI.

Cap rate

The ratio used to value income property. Because value ≈ NOI ÷ cap rate, recurring telecom NOI raises asset value.

ROE / Right of Entry

The agreement allowing a carrier to install and service equipment within a property.

FCC exclusive access ban

FCC rules prohibiting truly exclusive carrier agreements in MDUs; compliant bulk deals give preferred pricing without locking out competitors.

Bulk vs. retail rate

The bulk (wholesale) rate is what residents pay under the agreement; the retail rate is what they’d pay buying individually — often up to 30% higher.

Escalator

A scheduled annual increase in the resident rate (and ideally the revenue share) written into the agreement.

Marketing allowance

A carrier payment to the property framed as support for promoting the service to residents.

Term

The length of a bulk agreement, commonly 5–10 years, often tied to carrier infrastructure investment.

Vendor-neutral

An advisory stance not financially tied to any single carrier, so recommendations reflect the property’s best fit.

Performance-based

A compensation model where the advisor is paid by the carrier based on the deal, at no cost to the property.

Still Have Questions?

Our team is happy to walk through any of these terms in the context of your property.