The state offers super-cheap rooftop rent to WISPs (like $5/mo?), _if_ you can find a state building to camp out on. That's state-wide by the way... You'll have to fill out a stack of paperwork 2" thick to secure such a lease - insurance, state CPG, legal entity, financials, etc. ugh.
One of the more approachable agencies we've found telecom-wise is AOT but they don't have any garages in Stowe, with the nearest in Morrisville and Middlesex. The airport north of town is much tougher access-wise with flight security paranoia, but it's too far from the village anyway. Have you had a talk with the Telecom Authority? They've built a lot of relationships around the state and they may have contacts to get you onto rooftops or silos near downtown, aside from any direct efforts. They may have marketing data for that area, especially since the Evslins are from Stowe. -D On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 6:15 PM, Rion D'Luz<[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Dave and thanks for the input. See below for comments: > > On Tuesday 18 August 2009, David Storandt wrote: >> Any business plan should look at current needs and any gaps... there >> are a bunch of competitors specifically in Stowe already >> (over?)serving the area, covering the range of typical bandwidth/value >> marks - Stowe Cable, Fairpoint DSL, Great Auk Wireless (they bought >> Power Shift's Wireless business earlier this year), and Power Shift >> DSL (not including dial or satellite here). All are well established >> businesses that have sizable marketing engines and market niches to >> push up against. Not impossible but tougher than a less-served >> community further north. > True as that may be, I have yet to find any blanket wireless coverage in > Stowe; just sporadic hot-spots. > I believe this is because it is against the grain of the commercial interests > to promote it and > as such, unawares to the public at large. > > And considering the accumulated wealth there, am surprised (or not) that > nothing has been proposed. > FWIW, my intention was to start w/Stowe as a model for more 'out-lying' > areas; proving that > it can be done cost effectively 'where the $ is' first. > >> >> In your biz plan, do you have a rough cost estimate for such a project >> - salaries, equipment (routers, wireless APs, servers), rents/leases >> (telecom circuits, office space, rooftops, bandwidth), and company >> overhead? That should give you a rough revenue target to make your >> project float when looking at your surveys. > Only insofar as having comparable numbers obtained from similiar projects > around the country. > But there are gaps to fill in regarding specifics which won't make sense > unless there is an interest > in developing this. > >> >> A better model for Stowe may be to look for a "sponsor" or "anchor >> tenant" to serve as a lead customer and indirectly your financier. > Agreed, and I intend to do so if there is enough interest in the community to > make it > look exciting. > >> I would look to the ski resorts - they have cash and a more focused need >> analysis already - for a campus wireless to kick things off, then if >> you want to push into the community after that go for it after you've >> started to get a rhythm going. > Unfortunately, the resort is too far from the village warrant a simple > solution. > maybe a trango or other DSS from the Logde as a backhaul. But i want to focus > on the village 1st. > >> >> My two cents... >> -D > Thanks again, keep responding and i'll give you a nickel:) > I know we've had this discussion before, and I'll continue asserting until > the cows come home: > Wireless is the future, community wireless is an established workable model. > It may not suffice (yet) > for all things networking (a la triple-play) but it can, affordably, > interconnect a community in ways > that fixed nets cannot. Specially the ISP model of 1-to-many AOT a peerage > arrangement. > > I certainly don't have all (crap, not even a fraction of all) the answers. > But they are out there and they do work. > I believe that is somewhat indisputable. I just wish our collective minds > could tap into that experience to make it > work here, now. > > Sincerely, > Rion > > 3010 Rte 109 > Waterville, VT 05492 > email: rion_at_dluz.com > web: http://dluz.com/Rion/ > AIM/Jabber/Google: riondluz > Phone: 802.644.2255 > http://www.linkedin.com/pub/6/126/769 > > "Documentation is like sex: when it is good, it is very, very good; > and when it is bad, it is better than nothing." -- Dick Brandon >
