In a message Jay had apparently forwarded from offlist (or I missed the
original) Rick said:
> From: "Rick Alfvin" <[email protected]>
> Verilan is the exclusive network services provider for NANOG, IEEE
> 802, IETF, ICANN, ZigBee Alliance, MAAWG, OIF, GENIVI, Tizen and many
> other technical organizations. We deploy large temporary networks to
> provide high density WI-Fi for meetings, events and conferences all
> over the world where Internet connectivity is mission critical to the
> success of the event.
This points out another significant facter to why network isn't part of what's
negotiated here. Internet is *not* considered mission critical by most
attendees. Cheaper hotel rooms, adequate facilities, and inexpensive food
nearby are the top three items Worldcon attendees complain about. So it's not
going to be on the top of things to focus on. (and why this topic as it is
being discussed is not relevant to this list)
Those of us who feel Internet access is mission critical carry LTE network
devices or make other arrangements. Obviously the growth of smartphones and
tablets is starting to change that equation, but at the moment none of the
Worldcons have done a very good job of providing useful online interaction so
there's no actual use for onsite data related to the conference itself.
Obviously I would love to see this change.
For those who care about the economics of Worldcons, the following post is from
a person deeply involved in the organization which holds the rights and
trademarks for Worldcon. (Think Olympic Site Selection Committee, except they
don't select the locations -- the members do) He covers a lot of the topics
about why Worldcons are so very, very different from any of the conferences
listed above, and why the economics of scale these conventions have don't work:
http://kevin-standlee.livejournal.com/1166167.html
Now, if we want to make this topic relevant to Nanog, the operative question is
the feasability of a data provider putting good wireless gear near these
facilities and selling data access to attendees. For a useful comparison, the
2010 Worldcon in Melbourne had an expensive wifi service in the building that
kept falling over. A cell provider across the street put up banners advertising
cheap data service, and put people on the sidewalk in from of the convention
selling pay as you go SIM cards with data service. They made brisk business.
*THIS* is where us network operators can provide good networking service to a
large facility, and pretty much kill the expensive data plans operated by the
facility.
Instead of building up and tearing down a network for each convention, put an
LTE tower near the facility and sell to every group that uses the convention
center.
--
Jo Rhett
Net Consonance : net philanthropy to improve open source and internet projects.
