For several decades, certain PPEs have had internal collective installations enabling TV signals to be carried to apartments via coaxial cables. These systems, connected either to satellite antennas or to central technical cabinets, have long provided a useful service thanks to their ease of use and relatively low operating cost.

They have also helped preserve the appearance of our buildings and of the resort by avoiding the proliferation of individual antennas on roofs, façades and balconies. This approach reflected a long-standing desire to favour discreet, integrated technical solutions — a philosophy at the heart of all real estate projects and developments led by Gérance Service and the Ernand family. Since the late 1960s, particular attention has been paid to the discreet integration of technical infrastructure in order to preserve the architectural quality of the buildings and the character of the resort. Domaine de la Résidence remains today one of the rare areas of Villars where networks and technical equipment are entirely concealed.

Today, however, these systems are showing their limits in the face of technological change. Gérance Service provides an overview of the current situation and the perspectives ahead.

A Historic Infrastructure Under Pressure

These installations rely on technology that is now old. Some equipment is no longer manufactured, replacement parts are becoming difficult to obtain, and the technical standards used by operators continue to evolve.

Maintaining these systems is therefore becoming more complex, more expensive and less predictable. The recent difficulties encountered with certain French and Dutch channels are a concrete example: technical reception and encryption parameters have changed, making some existing collective equipment incompatible with the new reception requirements.

For the Buildings Affected : As of the publication date of this newsletter, all affected installations in buildings managed by Gérance Service have undergone the necessary technical updates in order to restore reception. In most cases, a simple automatic channel search on your television will allow you to recover the affected programmes. This operation may, however, depend on the model, age and configuration of your television. As with any technical infrastructure relying on third-party technologies and operators, these installations may require further adaptations in the future, depending on technical changes imposed by broadcasters. No general guarantee can therefore be given regarding the long-term availability of specific channels on these historic installations.

This situation perfectly illustrates the growing difficulty of maintaining historic infrastructure. Technologies evolve, while equipment installed several decades ago is gradually reaching its technical limits.

The Role of Gérance Service

Gérance Service acts as a property administrator. We are not a telecom operator, nor a TV installer, and we do not operate these installations as a television service provider.

Our role is to coordinate, where this falls within the scope of our management mandate, the administrative aspects relating to common areas and to the decisions of the relevant PPEs.

We therefore kindly ask you not to contact Gérance Service for channel searches, television settings, remote-control issues or private troubleshooting, whether relating to your TV, your Internet connection or Wi-Fi problems. These requests fall under the responsibility of a technical specialist.

🔧 Need technical assistance? Co-owners and occupants remain free to contact the technical service provider of their choice. Aegerter in Aigle is familiar with several of these historic installations and may, where applicable, intervene according to its availability, conditions and the specific characteristics of each building. As with any professional service, such interventions are billed directly according to the terms agreed with the provider. info@aegerter.com +41 24 466 35 26 For any intervention concerning the collective equipment of the building, decisions must be taken in accordance with the rules applicable to the relevant PPE.

Preparing for the Future

The gradual development of IT infrastructure in buildings opens up new possibilities for TV and Internet services. The objective is not to replace all existing installations overnight, but to anticipate a transition that will probably become unavoidable in the coming years.

The appropriate solution will depend on the technical situation of each building and on the decisions of each PPE.

1. Building Connected to the SEIC-Genedis Network: Grouped TV + Internet Subscription

When a building is connected to the SEIC-Genedis network, the simplest and most rational solution, where the PPE so wishes, is to subscribe to a grouped TV + Internet package for the entire building.

In practice, each co-owner has their own modem, while billing is centralised at PPE level and included in the common charges. Co-owners therefore do not each have to manage a separate individual subscription for the services concerned.

This solution offers several advantages: an attractive overall tariff, administrative simplicity, centralised billing, a single technical contact point and better consistency of the building’s infrastructure. In the event of a technical problem relating to TV or Internet, the reflex is simple: contact SEIC-Genedis directly on +41 27 763 14 11.

According to the information currently available, and subject to the specific conditions of each building, a grouped TV + Internet solution may represent an annual cost of less than CHF 500.– per apartment.

Landline telephony is generally no longer the central element of this type of solution. In practice, it has already largely disappeared from use in most apartments and buildings, replaced by mobile telephony and Internet-based services.

2. Building Connected to the SEIC-Genedis Network: Grouped TV Subscription Only

Another possibility is to subscribe only to a grouped TV package for the entire PPE.

This option may suit buildings wishing to modernise TV reception without including Internet in the common charges. The service is then billed to the PPE and allocated through the charges, according to the decisions taken by the co-owners.

As an indication, according to the information currently available, a grouped TV solution may represent approximately CHF 220.– per year and per apartment.

3. Connected Building, but Without a Grouped Subscription

Some buildings are already connected to the SEIC-Genedis network but do not wish to subscribe to a grouped package at PPE level.

In this case, each co-owner remains free to take out the individual subscription of their choice, with the operator of their choice, according to the technical possibilities available in the building.

This solution preserves individual freedom, but it also has limitations: no common billing, no overall technical coordination and multiple points of contact in the event of a problem.

4. Building or Chalet Not Connected to the SEIC-Genedis Network

When a building is not connected to the SEIC-Genedis network, owners must make their own arrangements according to the infrastructure available: old copper cable, fibre optic where it exists, although this is rare in the mountains, or any other solution available from operators.

In this configuration, each owner manages their own subscription, provider, billing and after-sales service. The PPE or Gérance Service therefore has no role in the choice of operator, the functioning of the service or the resolution of private technical issues.

Special Case of Second Homes For second homes, SEIC-Genedis offers a package adapted to non-permanent occupancy. The RS25 product is currently announced at CHF 336.65 including VAT per year, payable once annually and renewable from year to year — available only for buildings with a grouped TV subscription.

A Decision to Be Made Building by Building

Each situation will need to be assessed according to the technical condition of the building, the needs of the co-owners and the decisions of the PPE.

For connected buildings, a grouped subscription often represents the simplest, clearest and most efficient long-term solution from an administrative perspective. For buildings that are not connected, or for owners who wish to remain fully independent, individual subscriptions naturally remain possible.

Gérance Service will continue to support PPEs with administrative and property-management matters. Technical questions, subscriptions, troubleshooting and service conditions, however, remain the responsibility of operators and specialised providers.

An Ageing Infrastructure

It is also important to remember that the coaxial cables and part of the copper wiring present in certain buildings often date back to the original construction.

During renovations or modifications inside an apartment, these old installations can cause disruptions to the entire collective network. In some configurations, a fault in a single private socket can affect TV reception in several apartments, or even in the whole building.

These technical limitations confirm the need to gradually anticipate the future, without rushing, but with clear-sightedness.

Let us therefore continue to make use of this system which, despite its imperfections, still functions in many PPEs. At the same time, let us calmly prepare the transition toward more modern, more reliable solutions that are better adapted to today’s needs.

In Summary

The current installations continue to operate, but they rely on old technology that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Gérance Service will continue to support PPEs with administrative and property-management matters, while leaving technical questions to the competent specialists.

Any modernisation decisions will be handled building by building, within the ordinary framework of general meetings and the decisions specific to each PPE.

Have questions about your property or co-ownership? -> Contact us at gerance-service.ch/contact