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Subject: Chapel Hill Technology Advisory Committee

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  • From: Terri Buckner <tbuckner AT ibiblio.org>
  • To: Chapel Hill Information Technology Advisory Committee <chtechcomm AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Chtechcomm] notes from discussion with wireless contractor
  • Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 15:31:58 -0400

The Wireless subcommittee was asked by our (potential) partners (DEDC, UNC, CHCCS, Empowerment) to get a rough estimate of what kind of investment communities like ours have encountered in starting up a municipal network. Here are the notes from one contractor who says this is a very typical request--before signing on to a partnership, its only natural to want to know whether the costs involved are economically and politically feasible.

His company would need the following information to provide us with such an estimate:

1. What outcome we are looking for? (rough vision/goals, any fixed or variable factors that need to be considered.

2. topology and surface area for targeted areas along with a rough description of the morphology (man made structures)

3. population of targeted area (# of households, # of small businesses <20 employees, # of other businesses)

4. time frame we want included (startup or Year 0 and maintenance Year 1 beyond)

5. type of service (see below)

6. assumptions about the technology (see below)

7. regulatory environment (constraints on type of business model including upfront funding)

If we can put together this information, his company would charge us approximately $1500 to develop an estimate based on their review of projects undertaken in other communities. The report would give us a range of options from low cost to high cost and would document the assumptions upon which the estimate was made.

Another option would be to bring them here for a 1/2 day 'train the trainer' session in which they would go into further details. That way we would learn more in addition to getting the report. The cost for the training session + report would be about $5,000.

******Please note this is not the same thing as a feasibility study but the effort we put into this preliminary study would be rolled into the feasibility should we decide to undertake one. In essence, this is the information our potential partners want before signing on to a feasibility study.

*Types of service models:*
1. Fixed: primary location only, similar to T1/DSL/cable. This would be appropriate for Wimax deployment and would support parking/utility meters.

2. Nomadic: primary location with ability to move the computing device); Star Bucks approach. Wifi deployment.

3. Portable: computing device used in variety of locations (slow motion movement such as parking enforcement, police cruiser, buses) (wifi deployment)

4. Mobile: cellular or speed mobility (this technology is not yet ready for prime time)

*Assumptions*
1. wifi
2. wimax
Current best practice (in their experience) is Wifi on the edge (light poles) and Wimax used as a backhaul back to the internet

They are willing to join us for a future conference call. I have at least one other contractor identified but they were not able to talk with me until next week.

Hope this is helpful,

Terri





  • [Chtechcomm] notes from discussion with wireless contractor, Terri Buckner, 09/17/2005

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