For a long time, connectivity sat in the background of university planning. It was an IT line item that people only noticed when it broke. That has changed. Today the network supports teaching, research, building operations and, above all, the places where students live, whether that's university halls or purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). 

Expectations have risen faster than the resources available to meet them. I think that tension deserves more attention at leadership level, from universities and accommodation providers alike. 

The gap between expectation and experience 

Our 2025 Campus Connectivity Report surveyed more than 1,000 students and 250 staff at universities we work with in the US. Nearly three-quarters of students said reliable connectivity where they live is essential, but only around a quarter said they were very satisfied. Students don't see connectivity as a perk. They simply expect it to work. Most had experienced at least one connectivity issue in the past year, and the large majority said poor connectivity had affected their studies or work. 

Why this matters in the UK and Europe 

The picture here is different from the US. Rather than living on a self-contained campus, many students live in a mix of university halls and PBSA run by specialist operators. Whoever provides the room, the expectation is the same: connectivity that works from the moment students arrive. 

Competition is also growing. UCAS recorded a record number of international undergraduate applicants this year, and the US is now one of the UK's largest source markets. These students arrive with clear expectations of what student living should feel like. When students choose where they want to study, and where they want to live, the quality of the experience counts. Connectivity is now part of that experience. 

The cost of getting it wrong 

At Boldyn, our research on venues across the UK identified what we call the Frustration Tax: when connectivity fails, people disengage, share less and are less likely to come back. When it works, there's a Joy Dividend in the form of greater loyalty, satisfaction and return visits. 

I see the same pattern in university halls and PBSA. When connectivity falls short, students feel it, support teams feel it, and it shows up in reviews and in how residents talk about where they live. When it works, students stop talking about the Wi-Fi altogether. For a university or an operator, that silence is invaluable. 

The real constraint is people, not technology 

In my conversations with universities and accommodation providers, the constraint is rarely a lack of ideas. It's people and time. IT and operations teams are running increasingly complex estates, often with limited headcount, while being asked to modernise at the same time. 

That's why more organisations are thinking carefully about what they run in-house and what they share with partners. In one of our studies of more than 230 higher education IT professionals, around half said their institution already outsources some aspect of IT, and a further quarter said they plan to. 

The point isn't outsourcing for its own sake. It's about deciding where scarce internal expertise adds the most value. With a partner managing the residential network, an in-house team can focus on teaching and research spaces instead of trying to do both at once. 

Accommodation is a strategic asset 

A student's room is where they study, unwind, game, stay in touch with home and build friendships. Reliable connectivity there affects more than convenience. It supports wellbeing and helps students feel settled, particularly those who are far from home. 

Accommodation is also becoming more connected beyond Wi-Fi. Access control, CCTV, building management and energy monitoring increasingly run over the same infrastructure. That makes the network a foundation for operations and long-term asset planning, not just a student service. 

Learning from different markets 

Boldyn has worked with colleges and universities for more than 25 years, across residential networks, campus-wide connectivity and managed IT. No two institutions or operators start from the same place, and Europe has its own funding models, regulation and priorities. The lessons that transfer best aren't about specific products. They're about starting with the outcomes you want for students and your organisation and using connectivity to deliver them.