Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donotplan to get it
Marlon, It's so much easier for you to justify the whole thing by saying everyone that wants internet access has it. There is no way education and economics would change this situation? What situation? If one doesn't know about internet by now there's no level of education that will change that. The local tire shop doesn't have internet access. And why should they? The do tires and pump gas. What will the internet do for them? Really. Same for the local drive in, coffee shop, brewery etc. Sure they all have internet access at home OR the office, but who needs it in both? In the end, is it up to us to force this new technology on people? No. It's up to them to find a way to use it. They have businesses or lives that don't need internet access or broadband. What the heck is wrong with that? What I'm saying is that MOST of those that honestly do have a NEED for broadband access, of some kind, have it today. The rest don't have it cause they don't want it. There is information that should have been included in this article to better explain the real situation but the author of this article does tell the story the way they see it as most people do. I think that much of the press that says that the US is behind the rest of the world ignores that fact that MOST of the time people spend on line is for entertainment. It's a play thing. The internet is taking away from TV not creating something new. Is it really a big deal if people would rather read a book or watch TV? Is it realy a bad thing that folks in the US can find other things to do besides sitting in front of the computer? I think not. How is that rock treating you these days? No tigers I assume. ;-) Which rock? The one I live on? Still hard to grow a lawn here. grin Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Two thoughts here Dawn. First, any bets as to how many of the 22% that can't afford the computer etc. DO have cable TV? I know what the numbers are like in MY area It's near 100%. Next, if 17% say that they don't know how to use the internet it's cause they don't want to. Every town here has FREE internet access. Open to the public in the library. Everyone also has friends with computers that would let their friends use the internet on if it was needed. No, as much as we technogeeks like to think that the world would come to an end without internet access, the truth of the matter is that it's still possible to live one's life without internet access. And fully 1/3rd of the US population has decided they like it that way. Isn't it great to live in a country that still has so many other options marlon - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 3:01 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donot plan to get it All, If you read the article it also says 22% of those people said they did not feel they could not afford the computer and everything associated with getting on the Internet so that number is a little misleading in my opinion. Plus 17% of those respondents not on the Internet said they did not know how to use it. If this was not the case then I bet they would subscribe for Internet services. So it sounds to me like if these people were educated in how to use the Internet and could afford it they might see the value. Regards, Dawn DiPietro John Scrivner wrote: Remember this the next time someone tells you how the US is behind in broadband. Scriv George Rogato wrote: MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070326/od_nm/internet_holdouts_odd_dc;_ylt=Ajd_D_JeLhjUgI3IVOtLYJntiBIF -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
He heard it from Bullit I'm sure, who was making excuses for the decline in attendance ? I dunno, I never found much need for shows. Not enough time to go away for 3 days. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of George Rogato Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 7:10 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Where did you hear this Matt? Matt wrote: I was just wandering. I have heard that wireless ISP's are on the decline and most of the ones that remain are selling out or just holding there own. Is that true? I heard there were not as many at the last wispcon due to that. Matt -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
[WISPA] Google's New Broadband service!
Surfs up! http://www.google.com/tisp/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Google's New Broadband service!
So is April 1st. Lonnie On 4/1/07, D. Ryan Spott [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Surfs up! http://www.google.com/tisp/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
Wow... that's not the right attitude for a business that once the customer is gone, you won't get them back. We are growing as fast as we can. March will be another record month for us with 120+ installs. If we could do 200, I would. I'm not sure why anyone would not want faster growth? Could it be that your business model doesn't support the growth? Travis Microserv Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Our marketing is almost exclusively word of mouth. We loose $50 to $100 per sub just to show up at the door. The last thing in the world I need right now is faster growth! I've heard of people having great luck with door hangers or agreements with computer repair folks. marlon - Original Message - From: Smith, Rick [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:58 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's OK Marlon, how're you getting those customers to know about the choice you offer ? As a guy who's promising investors around 500 customers / year, I'm starting to look seriously into how to get those customers on board. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Marlon K. Schafer Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:54 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Yeah. We're teeny tiny yet. I put in about 80 radios last year. Some were new some were repairs or upgrades etc. We ended up with a net of 52 new subs when it all shook out. I've put in over 50 new subs so far this year! I'd been hoping to hit 375 wireless subs by the end of this year. Now I'll be amazed if we end up with less than 425. Sell out? Now? Why? I'm still able to do this with two people. Me and one part timer in the office. The wife spends a few hours per week on bills too. Sure I'm working more than 8 hours per day most days, but 2 to 4 of that is on the lists and/or WISPA (you guys are gonna be amazed at what's likely to come out of wispa in the next 12 months!) and push comes to shove I could drop those activities. Looking back over the last three years we're growing our annual revenue by about 15 to 16% per year. Even though we've cut our dialup base by more than 50%. Probably closer to 60 or 70% now. We're running about a 20% margin overall. And that margin will now start to go up as many of our fixed costs will not change due to new customers. We won't need more fiber run in, we won't need more servers, we won't need more office computers etc. At least not till we put on another 200 to 400 subs. For the first time in my 12 years in business, I'm having to pay income tax. (remember we closed the copier side and went pure internet around 2001 so the current business is still debt ridden and only a few years old) We just sat down with the accountant and I'll spend more in income tax last year than I did to buy the car I'm driving! In fact, my next tax bill will be HALF of what I budgeted for network expansion and improvement over the next TWO years! deep sigh The sad part is, I still drive a car with 260k on it. Any money we make goes to feed 5 hungry mouths in this house and paying off all of the debt from the copier biz. 2 more years and I'm gonna buy that vette one way or another! grin But sell out? Now? Sure. For 4x annual revenue I'll think about it. Other than that, where can I possibly find a job that'll drop down to a part time commitment in 36 or so months? Be almost completely debt free and new tools will be measured in the hundreds not thousands? Oh yeah, I whine about my hours, but I can always schedule time off if I want/need. I rarely miss any of the kid's games/plays etc. Somedays we play hooky at the office and head to the river instead of work. And I can write off at least part of almost every trip I take. laters, marlon - Original Message - From: John Scrivner [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 9:57 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's I don't know who told you that. We had our best growth and highest earning year last year and this year looks to break that record. Most WISPs I talk to say the same. Scriv Matt wrote: I was just wandering. I have heard that wireless ISP's are on the decline and most of the ones that remain are selling out or just holding there own. Is that true? I heard there were not as many at the last wispcon due to that. Matt -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] McCaw losing money?
Quite so. Very true. Tom DeReggi wrote: The idea is to put yourself in a spot that you won't feel the squeeze. When enough of your gear is paid for, enough of your cell sites are traded, once you've reached a scale to have rock bottom bandwidth, and spread your business around without all your eggs in one basket/market, it becomes easier. One of your markets can subsidize the other. When you send the message that under pricing you doesn't harm you, and doesn't help them succeed, they have no motive to continue wasting their money in that type of marketing. This is the year to figure out how to make your business less vulnerable, and be more competitive. The sooner one acknowledge that the competition is comming, the sooner one can prepair for it. If you aren't in a position to prepare for it, the only choice is to sell it to someone that is, or milk it for all its worth while it dies. But the idea that a First-in WISP can't compete, is wrong. What you need to do is identify the Anchor tenants and get them as fast as you can, preferably in long term contracts, to subsidize the others. Ironically, the markets that I'm growing fastest right now, are my most competitive markets. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [SPAM] [WISPA] Google's New Broadband service!
Is that billed by the gallon flushed or what? - Original Message - From: D. Ryan Spott [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 10:07 AM Subject: [SPAM] [WISPA] Google's New Broadband service! Surfs up! http://www.google.com/tisp/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
He heard it from Bullit I'm sure, who was making excuses for the decline in attendance ? No I did not. I heard it from another wisp. I actually wanted to go in the worst way but was way to busy. Matt I dunno, I never found much need for shows. Not enough time to go away for 3 days. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] qtm.net or acd.net
Yes, I have. John -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Blair Davis Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:17 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: [WISPA] qtm.net or acd.net Anybody on the list know of or have worked with this outfit? Quantum Connections They appear to serve the Dowagiac, Michigan area. -- Blair Davis AOL IM Screen Name -- Theory240 West Michigan Wireless ISP 269-686-8648 A division of: Camp Communication Services, INC -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
Matt wrote: No I did not. I heard it from another wisp. I actually wanted to go in the worst way but was way to busy. Matt Bullit sent WISPA over 5 free passes. We offered them around, not sure if they all went or not. I think what was heard the most was, I would go if I had time, I know that was why I didn't go. I think there are more wisps today than yesterday. -- George Rogato Welcome to WISPA www.wispa.org 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/
Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donotplan to get it
Marlon, Are you sure you are in the business of selling Internet? You find more excuses why potential customers don't need your services. The Internet is NOT just for entertainment. So I suppose this tire shop doesn't use a phone, make appointments, order parts, check on parts ordered, have a bank account and making so much money that they don't need to find ways to save time and money? Do you really believe that none of these businesses in your area have a need for an Internet connection? If you do then it is time to find something else to sell. Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Marlon, It's so much easier for you to justify the whole thing by saying everyone that wants internet access has it. There is no way education and economics would change this situation? What situation? If one doesn't know about internet by now there's no level of education that will change that. The local tire shop doesn't have internet access. And why should they? The do tires and pump gas. What will the internet do for them? Really. Same for the local drive in, coffee shop, brewery etc. Sure they all have internet access at home OR the office, but who needs it in both? In the end, is it up to us to force this new technology on people? No. It's up to them to find a way to use it. They have businesses or lives that don't need internet access or broadband. What the heck is wrong with that? What I'm saying is that MOST of those that honestly do have a NEED for broadband access, of some kind, have it today. The rest don't have it cause they don't want it. There is information that should have been included in this article to better explain the real situation but the author of this article does tell the story the way they see it as most people do. I think that much of the press that says that the US is behind the rest of the world ignores that fact that MOST of the time people spend on line is for entertainment. It's a play thing. The internet is taking away from TV not creating something new. Is it really a big deal if people would rather read a book or watch TV? Is it realy a bad thing that folks in the US can find other things to do besides sitting in front of the computer? I think not. How is that rock treating you these days? No tigers I assume. ;-) Which rock? The one I live on? Still hard to grow a lawn here. grin Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Two thoughts here Dawn. First, any bets as to how many of the 22% that can't afford the computer etc. DO have cable TV? I know what the numbers are like in MY area It's near 100%. Next, if 17% say that they don't know how to use the internet it's cause they don't want to. Every town here has FREE internet access. Open to the public in the library. Everyone also has friends with computers that would let their friends use the internet on if it was needed. No, as much as we technogeeks like to think that the world would come to an end without internet access, the truth of the matter is that it's still possible to live one's life without internet access. And fully 1/3rd of the US population has decided they like it that way. Isn't it great to live in a country that still has so many other options marlon - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 3:01 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donot plan to get it All, If you read the article it also says 22% of those people said they did not feel they could not afford the computer and everything associated with getting on the Internet so that number is a little misleading in my opinion. Plus 17% of those respondents not on the Internet said they did not know how to use it. If this was not the case then I bet they would subscribe for Internet services. So it sounds to me like if these people were educated in how to use the Internet and could afford it they might see the value. Regards, Dawn DiPietro John Scrivner wrote: Remember this the next time someone tells you how the US is behind in broadband. Scriv George Rogato wrote: MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070326/od_nm/internet_holdouts_odd_dc;_ylt=Ajd_D_JeLhjUgI3IVOtLYJntiBIF -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List:
RE: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have noInternet...and donotplan to get it
MARLON, Starting to agree here. Some of our odd ones: I have 2 fruit stands, adding a third tomorrow, many restaurants, one big o tire and an oil change place, an 89 year old widow ( family tree stuff, can't spell) and a couple of mechanic shops and a truck shop. And some have home connections also, when that happens we single bill the business with 10% off. Why do they have it? Internet banking, parts look up, comparison shopping the competition, business and personal e mail, and customer open hotspots. It's a big draw for travelers and sales people. They will schedule their time and service stops where they have access. Hell, an oil change stop is not wasted time any more, their working in the waiting room, they're doing presentations at the coffee shop, and touring real estate selling property , and doing loan apps over lunch, live on my network. AND THE OWNERS GET TO USE IT TOO ! Chuck Profito 209-988-7388 CV-ACCESS, INC [EMAIL PROTECTED] Providing High Speed Broadband to Rural Central California -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dawn DiPietro Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 2:09 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have noInternet...and donotplan to get it Marlon, Are you sure you are in the business of selling Internet? You find more excuses why potential customers don't need your services. The Internet is NOT just for entertainment. So I suppose this tire shop doesn't use a phone, make appointments, order parts, check on parts ordered, have a bank account and making so much money that they don't need to find ways to save time and money? Do you really believe that none of these businesses in your area have a need for an Internet connection? If you do then it is time to find something else to sell. Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Marlon, It's so much easier for you to justify the whole thing by saying everyone that wants internet access has it. There is no way education and economics would change this situation? What situation? If one doesn't know about internet by now there's no level of education that will change that. The local tire shop doesn't have internet access. And why should they? The do tires and pump gas. What will the internet do for them? Really. Same for the local drive in, coffee shop, brewery etc. Sure they all have internet access at home OR the office, but who needs it in both? In the end, is it up to us to force this new technology on people? No. It's up to them to find a way to use it. They have businesses or lives that don't need internet access or broadband. What the heck is wrong with that? What I'm saying is that MOST of those that honestly do have a NEED for broadband access, of some kind, have it today. The rest don't have it cause they don't want it. There is information that should have been included in this article to better explain the real situation but the author of this article does tell the story the way they see it as most people do. I think that much of the press that says that the US is behind the rest of the world ignores that fact that MOST of the time people spend on line is for entertainment. It's a play thing. The internet is taking away from TV not creating something new. Is it really a big deal if people would rather read a book or watch TV? Is it realy a bad thing that folks in the US can find other things to do besides sitting in front of the computer? I think not. How is that rock treating you these days? No tigers I assume. ;-) Which rock? The one I live on? Still hard to grow a lawn here. grin Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Two thoughts here Dawn. First, any bets as to how many of the 22% that can't afford the computer etc. DO have cable TV? I know what the numbers are like in MY area It's near 100%. Next, if 17% say that they don't know how to use the internet it's cause they don't want to. Every town here has FREE internet access. Open to the public in the library. Everyone also has friends with computers that would let their friends use the internet on if it was needed. No, as much as we technogeeks like to think that the world would come to an end without internet access, the truth of the matter is that it's still possible to live one's life without internet access. And fully 1/3rd of the US population has decided they like it that way. Isn't it great to live in a country that still has so many other options marlon - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 3:01 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donot plan to get it All, If you read the article it also says 22% of those people said they did not feel they could not
[WISPA] Mexican classrooms go hi-tech
Mexican classrooms go hi-tech By Duncan Kennedy BBC News, Mexico City Ping ping, beep beep, tap tap. What would you think those noises are? A new video game? A children's toy, perhaps? Or even some exotic musical instrument? Well, in some ways, you would be right about all three. In fact, it is the sound of the new digital education system being used in Mexico. A brain seen on a screen The system is used in a variety of subjects The noises are the kinds of sounds you hear when you put your finger on the giant electronic screens attached to the walls of about 165,000 Mexican classrooms. Some five million 10- and 11-year-olds now receive ALL their education through the screens. It is believed to be the most ambitious project of its kind in the world. From maths to music, from geography to geometry, black and white boards have given way to electronic screens. I really like it, says one six-year-old at the John F Kennedy Primary school in Mexico City. It's fun and therefore you learn more. 'Active' Five years in development, the entire school curriculum for 5th and 6th graders has now been digitised and is accessible on the screens. Soon, other grades will follow. The system is called Enciclomedia. Take an English lesson: the teacher taps the screen and a video starts, instantly. The children concentrate more, they interact more and so they get more out of each class Arturo Vazquez Teacher Good morning, how are you, says the voice of one English-speaking girl on the video. I'm fine, comes her friend's reply. Soon, the pupils in the classroom watching the screen are saying the words out loud. During a biology lesson we watch as pupil after pupil comes to the screen to piece together the human body... electronically. One boy taps his finger on the screen and brings up the human heart. He then slides his finger across the screen, taking the heart with him and places it where he thinks it belongs on the body located on the other side of the screen. Ping! goes the sound of the screen when he places the organ correctly in the middle of the chest. Beep, beep, goes the screen when another child fails to put the lungs in the right place. This brings howls of laughter from his classmates. This is putting the active well and truly into interactive education. 'Improvement' It is fabulous, says the teacher Arturo Vazquez. The children concentrate more, they interact more and so they get more out of each class. School pupil Pupils concentrate more, according to teachers Enciclomedia was brought in to raise standards in Mexico. The current system can give teachers access to about 20,000 items of information, ranging from three-dimensional images of the body to clips of movies like Gladiator, so children can learn the history of ancient Rome. In text alone, it is believed there is the equivalent of about 14 full-sized books inside Enciclomedia. It is a revolution, says Professor Ana Maria Prieto, an independent educationalist who is monitoring the project. Research is continuing, but I believe it is really improving education standards, she says. Already the United States, China and India have shown an interest in buying Enciclomedia. Delegations from these countries have seen its screen bring up video of harps for music, rotating panoramic views of archaeological ruins for history and the insides of a plant's cellular structure for nature lessons. Roulette wheel In a nearby office are 400 people, the team behind the project. Here, graphic designers are working on the next phase of the system. Coming soon, real satellite pictures of the globe to show rivers, population densities and climate change, a tool useful right across the curriculum. There have been some mumblings about excessive teacher workload, but those we spoke to say it is possible to adapt to a different way of teaching. The question of whether it is working and improving standards is still being assessed. And there are issues of cost, too. It takes about US$5,000 (£2,500) to equip each classroom with a big screen and associated computer. In Mexico, central government pays, after decreeing that education is a top priority. Me, me, me, comes the chorus of enthusiasm in another classroom we visit, as children urge the teacher to pick them to answer a question. Why the keenness? Well, yet again, the one chosen gets to go to the screen and interact in another subject. Here, you don't just put your hand up, you get up. This is learning with all your senses. And when children do not answer? Well, the system even has an tool for that. Having already entered the names of all the pupils into the computer, the teacher can tap the screen to bring up an electronic roulette wheel that randomly picks a child's name. No more hiding at the back of class. In a world where video game consoles, computers and television are already integral parts of young peoples
Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
My cash flow doesn't support it. We started this business with a ton of debt and no outside income other than my wife's part time job. It takes money to grow. Grow too fast and you can run out of money just as fast as you can by not growing fast enough. How many companies do you know that failed in spite of amazing growth? grin marlon - Original Message - From: Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 9:32 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Wow... that's not the right attitude for a business that once the customer is gone, you won't get them back. We are growing as fast as we can. March will be another record month for us with 120+ installs. If we could do 200, I would. I'm not sure why anyone would not want faster growth? Could it be that your business model doesn't support the growth? Travis Microserv Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Our marketing is almost exclusively word of mouth. We loose $50 to $100 per sub just to show up at the door. The last thing in the world I need right now is faster growth! I've heard of people having great luck with door hangers or agreements with computer repair folks. marlon - Original Message - From: Smith, Rick [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:58 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's OK Marlon, how're you getting those customers to know about the choice you offer ? As a guy who's promising investors around 500 customers / year, I'm starting to look seriously into how to get those customers on board. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Marlon K. Schafer Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:54 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Yeah. We're teeny tiny yet. I put in about 80 radios last year. Some were new some were repairs or upgrades etc. We ended up with a net of 52 new subs when it all shook out. I've put in over 50 new subs so far this year! I'd been hoping to hit 375 wireless subs by the end of this year. Now I'll be amazed if we end up with less than 425. Sell out? Now? Why? I'm still able to do this with two people. Me and one part timer in the office. The wife spends a few hours per week on bills too. Sure I'm working more than 8 hours per day most days, but 2 to 4 of that is on the lists and/or WISPA (you guys are gonna be amazed at what's likely to come out of wispa in the next 12 months!) and push comes to shove I could drop those activities. Looking back over the last three years we're growing our annual revenue by about 15 to 16% per year. Even though we've cut our dialup base by more than 50%. Probably closer to 60 or 70% now. We're running about a 20% margin overall. And that margin will now start to go up as many of our fixed costs will not change due to new customers. We won't need more fiber run in, we won't need more servers, we won't need more office computers etc. At least not till we put on another 200 to 400 subs. For the first time in my 12 years in business, I'm having to pay income tax. (remember we closed the copier side and went pure internet around 2001 so the current business is still debt ridden and only a few years old) We just sat down with the accountant and I'll spend more in income tax last year than I did to buy the car I'm driving! In fact, my next tax bill will be HALF of what I budgeted for network expansion and improvement over the next TWO years! deep sigh The sad part is, I still drive a car with 260k on it. Any money we make goes to feed 5 hungry mouths in this house and paying off all of the debt from the copier biz. 2 more years and I'm gonna buy that vette one way or another! grin But sell out? Now? Sure. For 4x annual revenue I'll think about it. Other than that, where can I possibly find a job that'll drop down to a part time commitment in 36 or so months? Be almost completely debt free and new tools will be measured in the hundreds not thousands? Oh yeah, I whine about my hours, but I can always schedule time off if I want/need. I rarely miss any of the kid's games/plays etc. Somedays we play hooky at the office and head to the river instead of work. And I can write off at least part of almost every trip I take. laters, marlon - Original Message - From: John Scrivner [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 9:57 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's I don't know who told you that. We had our best growth and highest earning year last year and this year looks to break that record. Most WISPs I talk to say the same. Scriv Matt wrote: I was just wandering. I have heard that wireless ISP's are on the decline and most of the ones that remain are selling out or just holding there own. Is that true? I heard there were not as many at the last wispcon due to that. Matt --
Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have noInternet...and donotplan to get it
LOL I guess you could put those words into my mouth. *I'm* not the one that doesn't want internet. I don't think that businesses can be as efficient without internet as they could be with it. But it's not my job to run their businesses, it's simply to supply services to them. We don't do online banking either. Anyone have to get a new cc lately, cause hackers got your card number? grin Let go back to the original point though. Fully 1/3rd of the population doesn't give a rat's behind about the internet. Who are we to FORCE it upon them? Who are you (not you but generically...) to tell them that they HAVE to use it? I'd guess that these same arguments took place over the automobile, electricity, telephone, radio, TV etc. Heck, probably there were people that saw no need for the written word in the first place. Or how about the fork? There will always be those that don't care about the latest new thing out there. So what? The rest of us will use it and be happy. They won't and be happy. Who's wrong in that? No one. marlon - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 2:09 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have noInternet...and donotplan to get it Marlon, Are you sure you are in the business of selling Internet? You find more excuses why potential customers don't need your services. The Internet is NOT just for entertainment. So I suppose this tire shop doesn't use a phone, make appointments, order parts, check on parts ordered, have a bank account and making so much money that they don't need to find ways to save time and money? Do you really believe that none of these businesses in your area have a need for an Internet connection? If you do then it is time to find something else to sell. Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Marlon, It's so much easier for you to justify the whole thing by saying everyone that wants internet access has it. There is no way education and economics would change this situation? What situation? If one doesn't know about internet by now there's no level of education that will change that. The local tire shop doesn't have internet access. And why should they? The do tires and pump gas. What will the internet do for them? Really. Same for the local drive in, coffee shop, brewery etc. Sure they all have internet access at home OR the office, but who needs it in both? In the end, is it up to us to force this new technology on people? No. It's up to them to find a way to use it. They have businesses or lives that don't need internet access or broadband. What the heck is wrong with that? What I'm saying is that MOST of those that honestly do have a NEED for broadband access, of some kind, have it today. The rest don't have it cause they don't want it. There is information that should have been included in this article to better explain the real situation but the author of this article does tell the story the way they see it as most people do. I think that much of the press that says that the US is behind the rest of the world ignores that fact that MOST of the time people spend on line is for entertainment. It's a play thing. The internet is taking away from TV not creating something new. Is it really a big deal if people would rather read a book or watch TV? Is it realy a bad thing that folks in the US can find other things to do besides sitting in front of the computer? I think not. How is that rock treating you these days? No tigers I assume. ;-) Which rock? The one I live on? Still hard to grow a lawn here. grin Regards, Dawn DiPietro Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Two thoughts here Dawn. First, any bets as to how many of the 22% that can't afford the computer etc. DO have cable TV? I know what the numbers are like in MY area It's near 100%. Next, if 17% say that they don't know how to use the internet it's cause they don't want to. Every town here has FREE internet access. Open to the public in the library. Everyone also has friends with computers that would let their friends use the internet on if it was needed. No, as much as we technogeeks like to think that the world would come to an end without internet access, the truth of the matter is that it's still possible to live one's life without internet access. And fully 1/3rd of the US population has decided they like it that way. Isn't it great to live in a country that still has so many other options marlon - Original Message - From: Dawn DiPietro [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 3:01 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] one-third of U.S. households have no Internet...and donot plan to get it All, If you read the article it also says 22% of those people said they did not feel they could not afford
Re: [WISPA] Our First WISP Consultant Vendor Member - Butch Evans
On Fri, 30 Mar 2007, John Scrivner wrote: lists out there. Butch is one of my favorite people in this industry. He is not just a good consultant, he is a good person who genuinely cares about the people as much as the work. He is a Thank you for the very kind introduction. And thank you as well for your own dedication to this industry. Your efforts (along with those of many others) is instrumental in ALL our successes. -- Butch Evans Network Engineering and Security Consulting 573-276-2879 http://www.butchevans.com/ My calendar: http://tinyurl.com/y24ad6 Training Partners: http://tinyurl.com/smfkf Mikrotik Certified Consultant http://www.mikrotik.com/consultants.html -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] Our First WISP Consultant Vendor Member - Butch Evans
On Sat, 31 Mar 2007, Mac Dearman wrote: So I wonder what Butch thinks about MikroTik? :-) Mac..you cracker! You gotta KNOW. :-) -- Butch Evans Network Engineering and Security Consulting 573-276-2879 http://www.butchevans.com/ My calendar: http://tinyurl.com/y24ad6 Training Partners: http://tinyurl.com/smfkf Mikrotik Certified Consultant http://www.mikrotik.com/consultants.html -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Our First WISP Consultant Vendor Member - Butch Evans
On Sat, 31 Mar 2007, Doug Ratcliffe wrote: As far as Mikrotik goes, if any one/more/all MT vendor(s) in this country paid an FCC lab to certify the boards/radios (can't the radios/antennas can be modular certified by Ubiquiti/Senao?), could that work as a blanket certification that MT could attach to their boards/radios, or does each individual unit/vendor need an FCC certification? Each particular vendor will need a cert for the complete system they build. FWIW, I have been pushing MANY vendors to build and certify some Mikrotik radios. You can help yourself here by going to YOUR vendor and asking them to do the same. -- Butch Evans Network Engineering and Security Consulting 573-276-2879 http://www.butchevans.com/ My calendar: http://tinyurl.com/y24ad6 Training Partners: http://tinyurl.com/smfkf Mikrotik Certified Consultant http://www.mikrotik.com/consultants.html -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's
And thus my argument (and proof of concept) for leasing the CPE... going on 5 years now with leasing and we could do 1,000 installs per month (assuming we could get the man-power, vehicles, tools, etc.) if we wanted. The other difference is we aren't using VC money or ANY outside investments... when we install a new customer, $39 per month is our starting package. $10 per month goes to pay for the CPE equipment. I don't have to come up with ANY money out-of-pocket, AND the installers time, vehicle expenses, gas, tools, etc. are paid for by the customer. So, it doesn't cost me a dime to install a new customer. :) Travis Microserv Marlon K. Schafer wrote: My cash flow doesn't support it. We started this business with a ton of debt and no outside income other than my wife's part time job. It takes money to grow. Grow too fast and you can run out of money just as fast as you can by not growing fast enough. How many companies do you know that failed in spite of amazing growth? grin marlon - Original Message - From: Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 9:32 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Wow... that's not the right attitude for a business that once the customer is gone, you won't get them back. We are growing as fast as we can. March will be another record month for us with 120+ installs. If we could do 200, I would. I'm not sure why anyone would not want faster growth? Could it be that your business model doesn't support the growth? Travis Microserv Marlon K. Schafer wrote: Our marketing is almost exclusively word of mouth. We loose $50 to $100 per sub just to show up at the door. The last thing in the world I need right now is faster growth! I've heard of people having great luck with door hangers or agreements with computer repair folks. marlon - Original Message - From: Smith, Rick [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:58 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's OK Marlon, how're you getting those customers to know about the choice you offer ? As a guy who's promising investors around 500 customers / year, I'm starting to look seriously into how to get those customers on board. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Marlon K. Schafer Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 12:54 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wireless ISP's Yeah. We're teeny tiny yet. I put in about 80 radios last year. Some were new some were repairs or upgrades etc. We ended up with a net of 52 new subs when it all shook out. I've put in over 50 new subs so far this year! I'd been hoping to hit 375 wireless subs by the end of this year. Now I'll be amazed if we end up with less than 425. Sell out? Now? Why? I'm still able to do this with two people. Me and one part timer in the office. The wife spends a few hours per week on bills too. Sure I'm working more than 8 hours per day most days, but 2 to 4 of that is on the lists and/or WISPA (you guys are gonna be amazed at what's likely to come out of wispa in the next 12 months!) and push comes to shove I could drop those activities. Looking back over the last three years we're growing our annual revenue by about 15 to 16% per year. Even though we've cut our dialup base by more than 50%. Probably closer to 60 or 70% now. We're running about a 20% margin overall. And that margin will now start to go up as many of our fixed costs will not change due to new customers. We won't need more fiber run in, we won't need more servers, we won't need more office computers etc. At least not till we put on another 200 to 400 subs. For the first time in my 12 years in business, I'm having to pay income tax. (remember we closed the copier side and went pure internet around 2001 so the current business is still debt ridden and only a few years old) We just sat down with the accountant and I'll spend more in income tax last year than I did to buy the car I'm driving! In fact, my next tax bill will be HALF of what I budgeted for network expansion and improvement over the next TWO years! deep sigh The sad part is, I still drive a car with 260k on it. Any money we make goes to feed 5 hungry mouths in this house and paying off all of the debt from the copier biz. 2 more years and I'm gonna buy that vette one way or another! grin But sell out? Now? Sure. For 4x annual revenue I'll think about it. Other than that, where can I possibly find a job that'll drop down to a part time commitment in 36 or so months? Be almost completely debt free and new tools will be measured in the hundreds not thousands? Oh yeah, I whine about my hours, but I can always schedule time off if I want/need. I rarely miss any of the kid's games/plays etc. Somedays we play hooky at the office and head to the river instead of work. And I can
Re: [WISPA] Our First WISP Consultant Vendor Member - Butch Evans
And then the issue becomes how much that vendor is going to mark-up the product, in addition to the FCC cert costs for all their time, efforts, etc. Isn't the reason most people are using MT is because of the cost? How many people would buy a RB532 if it was $500? or $1,000? What is everyone's limit? ;) Travis Microserv Butch Evans wrote: On Sat, 31 Mar 2007, Doug Ratcliffe wrote: As far as Mikrotik goes, if any one/more/all MT vendor(s) in this country paid an FCC lab to certify the boards/radios (can't the radios/antennas can be modular certified by Ubiquiti/Senao?), could that work as a blanket certification that MT could attach to their boards/radios, or does each individual unit/vendor need an FCC certification? Each particular vendor will need a cert for the complete system they build. FWIW, I have been pushing MANY vendors to build and certify some Mikrotik radios. You can help yourself here by going to YOUR vendor and asking them to do the same. -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
[WISPA] Equipment Leasing
Can anyone provide me with figures to use in a business plan for equipment leasing ? Using Tranzeo / Trango so far, will switch to Mikrotik based setups on 900 mhz / 5.8 ghz and continue to use Tranzeo and Ruckus Wireless CPE's for 2.4 I need examples on what costs look like - per sub / per unit - package pricing, etc. I'll keep 'em to myself if you send 'em offlist... Thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Google's New Broadband service!
DANG it!! I don't think it's gonna work cuz I'm on a septic system. D. Ryan Spott wrote: Surfs up! http://www.google.com/tisp/ -- Jack Unger ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc. FCC License # PG-12-25133 Serving the Broadband Wireless Industry Since 1993 Author of the WISP Handbook - Deploying License-Free Wireless WANs True Vendor-Neutral Wireless Consulting-Training-Troubleshooting Phone (VoIP Over Broadband Wireless) 818-227-4220 www.ask-wi.com -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] Our First WISP Consultant Vendor Member - Butch Evans
As Butch states (in general) each complete system needs to be individually certified however, the lab that I work with has advised that: IF the vendor (or WISP) that obtains the original certification Grant chooses to make their complete system specifications public rather than asking the FCC to keep some of the system data confidential, then other WISPs could build EXACT DUPLICATES of the certified system without being required to run the duplicate system through the lab certification process again. The EXACT DUPLICATE will still need to have correct labeling on it saying, in effect, (I need to check to get the exact, legal FCC verbiage) this system contains the same components that were already certified under FCC Grant XXXYYY. Even the software needs to be the same so that only the authorized channels, channel widths, modulation modes, etc. are selectable. The company building, labeling, and deploying the exact duplicate is responsible for the correct legal operation of the system. If the FCC comes to your door to inspect, the system better be EXACTLY THE SAME as the system that it claims to be a legal duplicate of. In the real world, I think the only way building an EXACT DUPLICATE is going to be practical is if the original Grantee holder is willing to cooperate with the companies that want to build the duplicates. For example, I could see Acme Wireless certifying a system, deploying it and also offering it for sale as a certified system but I don't think they would welcome other WISPs just making EXACT KNOCKOFFS and deploying those without having to bear any certification costs. This doesn't mean there aren't a few organizations that might certify a complete system and then publish all the details so exact copies could be made by others, just that there may not be very many such organizations. Another possibility is for a small group of WISPs to get together and standardize on one common AP or CPE design, then select one trusted WISP to officially get the Grant but all of the other WISPs pay for an equal share of the certification costs. If Butch (or anyone) has additions, corrections or questions about the above information, please post it/them and I'll go back to the lab that I'm working with and request further clarification. jack Butch Evans wrote: On Sat, 31 Mar 2007, Doug Ratcliffe wrote: As far as Mikrotik goes, if any one/more/all MT vendor(s) in this country paid an FCC lab to certify the boards/radios (can't the radios/antennas can be modular certified by Ubiquiti/Senao?), could that work as a blanket certification that MT could attach to their boards/radios, or does each individual unit/vendor need an FCC certification? Each particular vendor will need a cert for the complete system they build. FWIW, I have been pushing MANY vendors to build and certify some Mikrotik radios. You can help yourself here by going to YOUR vendor and asking them to do the same. -- Jack Unger ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc. FCC License # PG-12-25133 Serving the Broadband Wireless Industry Since 1993 Author of the WISP Handbook - Deploying License-Free Wireless WANs True Vendor-Neutral Wireless Consulting-Training-Troubleshooting Phone (VoIP Over Broadband Wireless) 818-227-4220 www.ask-wi.com -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
