How early should we plan connectivity for a presentation centre?

Ideally before the lease is signed and no later than eight to twelve weeks ahead of launch. Carrier installation can take weeks, and delays are common.

Is satellite internet suitable for a site office?

Modern low-orbit satellite service can work well as a primary or backup link on remote sites, although latency and cost vary. We assess options case by case.

Can ITRE manage the installation?

We plan, specify and oversee installations, and coordinate local trades. This keeps a single advisor accountable while qualified installers do the physical work.

How do we control trades' access to drawings?

Provide named accounts on a managed platform with permissions limited to current drawings, review membership monthly and revoke access when work ends.

Fixed-scope projects start at $2,500. Site surveys and connectivity plans are priced after a short conversation, and hardware is billed at cost with no hidden margin.

Developer Site Connectivity: Sales Centres, Trailers and

A development project has a distinctive technology profile. A small group works from a site trailer on uneven ground. A presentation centre must dazzle on a fixed launch date. Head office needs to see both. Standard office IT does not travel well to these places, and a weak connection on launch weekend is an expensive embarrassment. This article sets out a plan that developers and builders can follow for any project.

Survey before you order

The most common failure is an assumption that a quick internet connection will be available on the day. Request a site survey early, ideally before a lease is signed for a presentation centre. Check which carriers serve the address, how long installation takes and whether the building permits new service. Where fibre is not available, assess fixed wireless, 5G and satellite options.

Order lead times can run for weeks, and construction can delay everything. Placing orders early with a realistic target date avoids the panic that follows.

Redundancy at a sensible price

A second link is inexpensive compared with a failed launch. A common design combines a primary wired connection with a cellular or satellite backup, joined by a small business router that fails over automatically. The staff do not notice the switch, and the sales system continues to run.

For site trailers, cellular failover is often adequate for email, drawings and video calls. For presentation centres that depend on a customer-relationship system, tablets and digital displays, treat the backup as essential.

Wi-Fi that matches the experience

A presentation centre is a showroom. Prospective buyers will use the guest network, sales staff will use tablets and the displays may stream large files. Separate these on different networks so that a guest's phone cannot reach the sales system, and size the wireless design to the floor plan, not to a router's marketing claims.

Construction trailers have different needs: durable equipment, simple configuration and the ability to be moved. Cloud-managed devices allow remote configuration before they ever reach the site.

Secure access to project information

Developers share drawings, contracts and budgets with consultants, trades and lenders. Provide access through a managed platform with named accounts, expiring links and a log of who opened what. Remove access promptly when a consultant's engagement ends.

Payment approvals deserve special care. Progress claims and deposit instructions are a favourite target for impersonation, so require call-back verification for any change of banking details, and restrict who can approve large payments.

Demobilise as deliberately as you mobilise

When the project ends, equipment must be recovered, accounts closed, data archived and carrier services cancelled. Keep an asset register from the start, and include demobilisation in the project plan. Otherwise routers, tablets and phone lines can run on for months after a sales centre has closed.

Archive project records in a durable location before access is withdrawn. A development's records may be needed years later for warranty, tax or litigation purposes.

Common mistakes we see

The most expensive mistake is to discover on the Monday before launch that the carrier has not scheduled the installation. Close behind is the single consumer-grade connection serving everything from point-of-sale tablets to the construction manager's video calls. Developers also forget that temporary structures have power and cabling limits, and that a Wi-Fi design that works in a showroom may fail in a trailer.

Another common error is to give trades and consultants the same access as employees. When the engagement ends, nobody remembers to remove it. Finally, equipment is often purchased by project teams under project budgets and then forgotten. An asset register started on day one makes demobilisation orderly.

Checklist to take to your next meeting

Carrier and wireless survey completed before leasing
Primary and backup internet links with automatic failover
Separate guest, sales and operations networks
Named accounts and expiring links for project files
Call-back verification for payment instruction changes
Asset register and demobilisation checklist

Where this fits in your technology plan

Guidance works best as part of a coordinated programme rather than a one-off fix. These ITRE services address the subject directly.

01VoIP for Real Estate Teams
VoIP for Real Estate Teams replaces the aging office phone system with a cloud service that works on desk phones, laptops and agent mobiles, and integrates with your CRM so that every conversation is logged against the right contact.
02Microsoft 365 for Real Estate
Microsoft 365 for Real Estate is a tenant design and support service. We configure Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams and the security stack so that deal rooms, listing teams and development projects each have a tidy, secure home.
03Wire-Fraud & BEC Protection
Wire-Fraud and BEC Protection combines technical controls, such as hardened mailboxes, impersonation detection and alerting, with a written verification procedure for any change to payment instructions. It is designed for brokerages, conveyancers, developers and property managers who move large sums on short timelines.

Take it to your next leadership meeting

Guidance is only useful when someone acts on it. If this article raised questions about your own office, development or portfolio, bring the checklist above to your next leadership meeting and assign an owner to each item. ITRE offers a free thirty-minute consultation to help you decide what to do first and what can wait.

Speak with an advisor

To discuss any of this in the context of your business, call (604) 632-4959 or write to [email protected]. You will speak with a senior advisor, and the guidance on this site is reviewed by Ali Sedighi, MBA. There is no obligation, no lock-in and no sales script.

Questions and answers

How early should we plan connectivity for a presentation centre?: Ideally before the lease is signed and no later than eight to twelve weeks ahead of launch. Carrier installation can take weeks, and delays are common.
Is satellite internet suitable for a site office?: Modern low-orbit satellite service can work well as a primary or backup link on remote sites, although latency and cost vary. We assess options case by case.
Can ITRE manage the installation?: We plan, specify and oversee installations, and coordinate local trades. This keeps a single advisor accountable while qualified installers do the physical work.
How do we control trades' access to drawings?: Provide named accounts on a managed platform with permissions limited to current drawings, review membership monthly and revoke access when work ends.
What does this cost?: Fixed-scope projects start at $2,500. Site surveys and connectivity plans are priced after a short conversation, and hardware is billed at cost with no hidden margin.

Developer Site Connectivity: Sales Centres, Trailers and Temporary Offices