ExNets saves big on Auto- Renewals

Extensive Networks (ExNets) is a nationwide internet service provider specializing in delivering high-speed connectivity to Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs), primarily off-campus student housing communities near major universities. Their network powers thousands of apartments across the country, providing students and property managers with reliable internet that’s critical for academic success, entertainment, and daily living.

Operating in a highly competitive market, ExNets often faces pressure from large national ISPs with deeper resources and broader brand recognition. To remain competitive, ExNets focuses on delivering a superior resident experience while keeping operational costs in check. However, with a growing footprint and limited internal resources, managing vendors, network performance, and customer support across a nationwide portfolio became an escalating challenge.

With properties spread across the country and services delivered through dozens of upstream providers, ExNets struggled with a decentralized vendor management process. Outage notifications were inconsistent, renewals and contract terms were difficult to track, and when service issues arose, their lean team was often stuck reacting—manually opening trouble tickets, chasing providers for updates, and firefighting on behalf of frustrated property managers and residents.

The lack of a centralized system to manage contracts, track service health, and coordinate support efforts was consuming valuable internal bandwidth and eroding the quality of service ExNets could deliver. Competing against national ISPs with dedicated support teams and advanced monitoring tools, ExNets needed a solution that would allow them to operate at scale without bloating their internal headcount.

ExNets partnered with Norfolk Fiber to streamline vendor management and scale their support operations without expanding overhead. Norfolk Fiber conducted a full IT Spend Assessment, consolidating ExNets’ fragmented service contracts into a centralized system of record. We negotiated updated contract terms that eliminated rigid auto-renewals, introduced flexible month-to-month agreements, and reduced early termination fees—improving cost control and vendor agility.

To address the growing support demands, ExNets deployed Norfolk Fiber’s Consolidated Support solution, allowing them to offload the heavy lifting of incident management and outage response. Norfolk Fiber’s team proactively monitored service health across ExNets’ nationwide footprint, opening and escalating trouble tickets with upstream providers on their behalf. This ensured service interruptions were addressed swiftly, reducing downtime and improving the resident experience.

Additionally, ExNets gained access to a centralized dashboard for real-time visibility into order status, contract management, and active support tickets—eliminating the need for manual follow-ups and fragmented communication trails. Norfolk Fiber assigned dedicated project managers who seamlessly integrated with ExNets’ internal team, acting as an extension of their operations without adding headcount.

Through Norfolk Fiber’s partnership, ExNets achieved $5,000 in monthly telecom savings, generating over $300,000 in savings across a 60-month span. More importantly, ExNets was able to match the operational sophistication of larger ISPs by leveraging Norfolk Fiber’s proactive monitoring and Consolidated Support services—ensuring service disruptions were handled efficiently, with minimal resident impact.

The real-time dashboard and vendor consolidation streamlined internal workflows, reclaimed hundreds of labor hours, and empowered ExNets to focus on delivering a superior resident experience. By eliminating reactive, manual support processes, ExNets leveled the playing field against larger competitors without expanding its operational footprint.

As ExNets continues to grow its MDU portfolio, Norfolk Fiber remains a trusted partner—scaling support services, optimizing vendor relationships, and enabling ExNets to compete with agility, efficiency, and confidence.