And the only one on this list out of the States? Is that right? On 1/5/10, Gino Villarini <g...@aeronetpr.com> wrote: > 1800 subs, 18 employes and profitable > > Sent from my Motorola Startac... > > > On Jan 5, 2010, at 7:15 PM, "Josh Luthman" > <j...@imaginenetworksllc.com> wrote: > >> 200 subs, 2 owners, 3 employees and profitable... >> >> Super amazing fortunate we are. >> >> Josh Luthman >> Office: 937-552-2340 >> Direct: 937-552-2343 >> 1100 Wayne St >> Suite 1337 >> Troy, OH 45373 >> >> "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." >> --- Albert Einstein >> >> >> On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 7:06 PM, Matt Jenkins <m...@smarterbroadband.net >> >wrote: >> >>> Our company has almost 800 customers at the moment and 4 employees >>> and >>> is profitable! >>> >>> Charles Wu wrote: >>>>> Once you get to say 1000+ customers, things like having the staff >>>>> for >>>>> service calls and time to repair for customers are often more >>>>> important >>>>> than the brand of radio or the original cost of the radio. We do >>>>> spend >>>>> more on payroll than radios, despite deploying lots of expensive >>>>> gear. >>>>> Keeping CPE prices down is appreciated and important, but less >>>>> tangible >>>>> ongoing management, troubleshooting, and repair costs must also be >>>>> considered. The reduction in support costs isn't an expection, >>>>> it's a >>>>> reality and requirement in many situations. >>>> >>>> When you're working as a startup, labor costs are essentially zero >>>> (and >>> if you're asian like myself, you can call on your >>> kids/relatives/grandparents to work nights and weekends -- the >>> classic >>> Chinese restaurant business model =) >>>> >>>> However, when working with employees (and I don't care how smart / >>> hard-working / strong willed you are, there's still only 24 hours >>> in a day) >>> -- labor costs become a bigger factor as the organization scales >>>> >>>> So this brings up a more interesting debate -- e.g., one-man band / >>> mom-and-pop vs. organizational strategy >>>> >>>> As an organization, trying to run a WISP with 700 residential >>>> customers >>> is a complete waste of time, however, as a one-man-band -- an 700 >>> customer >>> WISP can be highly profitable >>>> >>>> The problem here is that there's a nasty chasm between what the >>>> one-man >>> band can handle and what an organization needs to support itself >>> (e.g., it >>> doesn't scale linearly) >>>> >>>> The picture looks more like this >>>> >>>> 700 customers -- one-man band (or equivalent) -- highly profitable >>>> >>>> Then -- they start hiring employees to grow and scale the business >>>> >>>> Unfortunately, there's a minimum amount of overhead required, and >>>> what >>> was once a profitable business is now bleeding red ink and needs to >>> reach >>> 2,000 customers before things get good again >>>> >>>> Which creates an interesting question -- if you're such a WISP, do >>>> you >>> just stop and sit tight at 700 customers? Or do you "go-for-broke" >>> by trying >>> to grow? >>>> >>>> -Charles >>>> >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless- >>>> boun...@wispa.org] On >>> Behalf Of jp >>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 10:36 AM >>>> To: WISPA General List >>>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Wimax gear >>>> >>>> On Mon, Jan 04, 2010 at 05:28:49PM -0600, Wallace Walcher wrote: >>>>> Having built my WISP from scratch with my own resources and >>>>> currently >>> being >>>>> debt free in my operations, I often wonder who the people are who >>>>> so >>> quickly >>>>> classify Mikrotik and Ubiquity gear as trash. I am making a very >>>>> good >>>>> living deploying such "trash". >>>> >>>> I'm not ashamed of calling their bluff when they say something is >>>> "carrier class", and it's not even released yet and then has >>>> firmware >>>> their either sets the timing wrong to the point of destroying the >>>> link >>>> or doesn't do vlans, and the firmware isn't pulled offline because >>>> it's >>>> the best stuff available. >>>> >>>> I've got a couple UBNT M links up and like them, and believe it >>>> has a >>>> future. I just can't put my whole business on the line while they >>>> refine >>>> a product. It is wise and irrestible to try the stuff though. >>>> >>>> I've got a downtown network of UBNT 802.11 gear, and the nanos and >>>> bullets just can't handle the interference as I'd like. It was >>>> intended >>>> to be an upgrade from the breezecom FH gear which was slow but >>>> reliable. >>>> The UBNT is faster, but less reliable in the presence of local >>>> interference. Now, if someone has an interference problem, we >>>> immediately swap them over to Alvarion 5.4 gear. It is more >>>> expensive, >>>> but we know we'll never have a service call after it's put in >>>> unless it >>>> gets hit by lightning or the customer wants to upgrade. We would >>>> have >>>> been wise to upgrade straight from the old stuff to 5.4. I'd still >>>> recommend the UBNT CPE for truly rural use. >>>> >>>> Then MT is always making something wonky. A couple years ago, you >>>> could >>>> crash the MT with a SNMP query. Now, if you put an N card in and >>>> upgrade >>>> the firmware in your 433ah to 4.4, you might lose the ethernet >>>> ports. I >>>> stay 1-4 months behind on their firmware because it's a mystery >>>> what you >>>> might get. Changelogs show less than half of what they change. I >>>> do like >>>> them for basic routing and also use their gear for a few links. I >>>> think >>>> it's a step up from UBNT for ptp 802.11 based links. I also like MT >>>> because it's pretty low power use, which has practical value for >>>> solar >>>> sites or sites needing long battery backup. We don't have the time >>>> to >>>> tinker to use it for everything. We tried 900 with SR9 then XR9 >>>> and the >>>> reliability wasn't there compared to what we were accustomed to with >>>> Trango and Alvarion. >>>> >>>> Once you get to say 1000+ customers, things like having the staff >>>> for >>>> service calls and time to repair for customers are often more >>>> important >>>> than the brand of radio or the original cost of the radio. We do >>>> spend >>>> more on payroll than radios, despite deploying lots of expensive >>>> gear. >>>> Keeping CPE prices down is appreciated and important, but less >>>> tangible >>>> ongoing management, troubleshooting, and repair costs must also be >>>> considered. The reduction in support costs isn't an expection, >>>> it's a >>>> reality and requirement in many situations. >>>> >>>> A minor glitch that affects a few customers outside of town is not >>>> a big >>>> deal, but if the glitch requires half a day on the road or requires >>>> aircraft, boats, snowcats, or sleds, it could cost hundreds of >>>> dollars >>>> and mess up a lot of customers. >>>> >>>> I'd fear for my welfare if everything was built on UBNT and MT >>>> though. >>>> >>>> We use Alvarion 900, 2.4 (not going forward), 5.4, 5.8, Trango >>>> (lots of >>>> 900 installed, but not going forward), MT, UBNT, and now Solectek >>>> and >>>> Radwin. >>>> >>>> My WISP is pretty low debt 100% privately owned and financed, and we >>>> often choose higher end equipment. You do get what you pay for, >>>> but of >>>> course there are diminshing returns the higher end you go. >>>> >>>> >>>>> My perception is they are either people who are not spending >>>>> their own >>> money >>>>> - they are working for the investor, or possibly borrowing or >>>>> leasing >>> the >>>>> equipment, or they are a vendor promoting their own high margin >>>>> goods. >>>>> Those that are WISPs seem to have the perception that it is >>>>> better to >>>>> install higher cost equipment, no matter what the cost, if it will >>> provide >>>>> them an expected reduction in support costs. >>>>> >>>>> What I have found in my area is that people who deploy such >>>>> equipment >>> have a >>>>> very hard go of it, mainly because the replacement costs during the >>> storm >>>>> season eat their lunch. My operational plan is different than >>>>> some - I >>>>> focus on residential customers on the outskirts of town that do >>>>> not have >>>>> access to Cable and DSL. Those focusing on business accounts in >>>>> cities >>>>> would understandably have a different perspective. But I feel very >>>>> fortunate to have a sub $200 total CPE cost (sometimes sub $100) >>>>> with >>> the >>>>> Mikrotik-type solution. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> 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/ >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> 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/ >>> >> >> >> --- >> --- >> --- >> --- >> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >> 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/ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! 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-- Josh Luthman Office: 937-552-2340 Direct: 937-552-2343 1100 Wayne St Suite 1337 Troy, OH 45373 "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." --- Albert Einstein -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
