Drew, As I've mentioned before - wireless "physics" does not allow you to simply and affordably "build your network" for tomorrow but you do not yet understand this point. No matter what the customer wants (or demands) and no matter how much the WISP wants to build a high-throughput network at a reasonable price, wireless "physics" (specifically the lack of available spectrum) prevents this. With limited spectrum (which is what we have today in spite of the arguments that we have "WiMAX" in 3650 and future "White Space" and "opportunities to partner with licensed carriers) WISPs can not build high-throughput, high-reliability, moderate-cost, non-interfering networks that serve a lot of customers without having access to more spectrum. As you point out, watching bandwidth needs so you can "know what's coming" and plan accordingly is important but you can not make physics (that's what happens in the REAL world) bend to your business and marketing models. The exact opposite happens - marketing plans fail because the technology (the real-world PHYSICAL behavior) does not obey the marketing plan.
There's nothing personal here - the PHYSICAL reality calls the shots and it always wins. For example, it doesn't matter that I want (and General Motors marketing plan may call for) a safe, five-passenger car that goes 200 MPH all day and gets 100 MPG up and down an unpaved bicycle trail through the Colorado Rockies along with 100 other cars simultaneously and costs only $3000 to buy. You and I both recognize that in spite of the marketing plan, it just is not going to physically work. No company could build such a car for $3000 and if someone did, it would run off the trail within 30 seconds as it accelerated, especially if there were 100 other similar 200 MPH cars on the same bicycle trail. The bike trail just can't support that kind of traffic even if the car could be built for $3000. Wireless channel needs are the same. To support a lot of traffic simultaneously needs a very wide road - a very wide, unshared channel. Now I'm going to explain why I keep emphasizing this point - because it needs to be understood so that the focus is placed in the proper area to solve the problem - more spectrum. Yes - some wireless vendors aren't delivering innovative products and some WISP owners aren't planning and deploying properly but even when vendors do innovate and WISP owners plan properly, SPECTRUM IS STILL NEEDED or the wireless physics won't work and the wireless throughput still won't be delivered. Again, this isn't personal. I just refuse to allow this discussion to be thrown off-track because the wireless physical foundation is not understood. If we go off-track then the problem won't be properly addressed and it can't be properly solved. I appreciate your good business analysis but I will keep trying to the best of my ability to address the underlying issue so WISPs stand a chance of being successful now and into the future as end-user throughput needs continue to increase. Respectfully, jack Drew Lentz wrote: > This is the statement that got me: > >> One argument that I have had people tell me, is that the ISP should know >> this is coming and should have planned for it. >> > > Whether it is through watching the amount of bandwidth used over periods of > time as a trend or doing market research to find out what is coming down the > line in technology, this statement holds pretty strong. Best practices tell > you to build your network for your needs tomorrow, not for today, not for > yesterday. > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > -- Jack Unger - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc. Serving the Broadband Wireless Industry Since 1993 Cisco Press Author - "Deploying License-Free Wireless WANs" WISPs - Do you know where your customers are? For wireless coverage mapping see http://www.ask-wi.com/mapping FCC Lic. #PG-12-25133 LinkedIn Profile <http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackunger> Phone 818-227-4220 Email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
