[Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband
Reva Reck
reva at revareck.com
Wed Apr 14 12:17:24 EDT 2010
I'm chairperson of the Warwick Broadband Committee. Warwick operates a
wireless network using Mt Tom for backhaul. We were able to implement it
quickly and fairly cheaply for about a third of the households in town.
The people who have it love it.
There are, however, a few problems. First, it can never provide the
bandwidth that fiber can provide, and bandwidth demand increases every
year. Second, building it out for universal access would be pretty
expensive because it's essentially line-of-sight, or near-line-of-sight.
And thirdly, it's not nearly as stable as fiber. Customers have problems
occasionally which we think are because of radio wave interference, but
we really can't tell. Wind and rain make the trees move so that a
usually strong connection will go out or slow way down. It's much better
than dial-up, or even satellite, but it isn't a long-term regional
solution. Also, it isn't as affordable as fiber will be because every
subscriber needs to buy and have installed an expensive radio/antenna
unit, and then they only get internet, while with fiber we can offer
phone, tv, and internet at a very competitive rate.
/Reva Reck/
/reva//@//revareck.com/
Kevin Phillips wrote:
> Have you looked at using wireless for the final leg ?
> There was a company running a wireless network from Mt Tom that
> covered Springfield to Easthampton, not sure if they are still around.
>
>
> Kevin Phillips
> KPIT Consulting
> kevin at kpitconsulting.com
> Office (413) 420-0212
> Cell (413) 330-7789
>
> www.kpitconsulting.com <http://www.kpitconsulting.com/>
>
> www.wmassforums.com <http://www.wmassforums.com/>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
> [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] *On Behalf Of
> *Reva Reck
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 13, 2010 7:35 PM
> *To:* 'Hidden Tech'
> *Subject:* Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband
>
> I can't fault you for being skeptical, but the fact is that many parts
> of Western Mass might not, even now, have electrical or phone service
> if we had relied on commercial providers. While you can make a modest
> profit on a fiber optic network in a sparsely populated area, there is
> not enough return on investment to justify Verizon or Comcast
> committing resources. At best, they'll bring service to the more
> densely settled parts of town, and then the rest of us are still
> without service.
>
> Since WiredWest is in business primarily to bring universal broadband
> access participating towns, we look at AVERAGE connection costs for
> our entire service area, not at incremental costs to connect the folks
> that live far apart. This has been done in other rural areas, and it
> can be done sustainably, meaning without taxpayer subsidies. You're
> right that it will take a while. We have a lot of initial prep work to
> do before we can start building the network, but I am there is no
> doubt in my mind that WiredWest will reach me with fiber at least 2
> decades before Verizon does!
>
> /Reva Reck/
>
> /reva//@//revareck.com/
>
>
>
> Ed Morris wrote:
>> ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>> ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Appologies for posting with a tone of skepticism, I commend
>> coordinated community action when something needs to be done - but it
>> seems by the time a small local inititive if/when gets agreed, funded
>> and moving, other options may become more attractive:
>>
>> http://www.high-speed-internet-access-guide.com/satellite/rural-internet.html
>>
>> http://www.massbroadband.org/
>>
>> http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=032510_broadband&csid=Agov3
>> <http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=032510_broadband&csid=Agov3>
>>
>>
>> I don't think it's a matter of 'IF' high speed internet access will
>> ever reach rural areas, it's more a matter of when. Back when
>> roads were starting to be built around the US, rural communities
>> didn't try to pave their own...they advocated the gov and dealt
>> with country road until the funding made it out their way. This is
>> one reason property value and property taxes are more expensive in
>> more populated areas: the choice of convienence. Like paved roads,
>> high speed utility access will eventually make it to you and
>> everywhere....you'll just have a bumpy ride till then. :)
>>
>>
>> -Ed Morris
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> *From:* Town Websites <mailto:townwebsites at gmail.com>
>> *To:* 'Hidden Tech' <mailto:Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
>> *Sent:* Monday, April 12, 2010 3:07 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband
>>
>> ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the
>> member's area.
>> ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Hi Nestor, the towns identified by the Wired West initiative are
>> those that currently have limited or no broadband access. I don't
>> think Wired West formed as an anti business initiative, but
>> rather a pro-resident one in an area where the private sector
>> hasn't been able to identify a business model to provide nearly
>> universal access.
>>
>> I don't know a lot about Wired West except what I learned in a
>> brief conversation with one of the members of its board. It
>> sounds like a group of tech savvy residents in underserved towns
>> who think there may be a better way to do things in a rural
>> area than by following the business and service models that work
>> well in higher density areas. I hope they've crunched their
>> numbers, technologies, and residents interests well enough to
>> actually deliver but regardless, I applaud their taking the
>> initiative and wish them well, whether the end result is exactly
>> as they have imagined or some other outcome that extends the
>> reach of broadband to underserved towns.
>>
>> Charlie Heath
>>
>> Town Websites
>>
>> *From:* hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
>> [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] *On Behalf
>> Of *nestor at fuzzy-math.com
>> *Sent:* Monday, April 12, 2010 11:32 AM
>> *To:* Reva Reck
>> *Cc:* Hidden Tech
>> *Subject:* Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband
>>
>> Wow, this is great! I did notice, however, that there are not
>> any towns on the main "corridor" that have joined in. This seems
>> like a great alternative to Comcast, Charter, etc... hopefully
>> towns such as NoHo, Greenfield, etc would also see this as an
>> opportunity to bring in future-proof infrastructure improvements
>> at a time when the future of open and democratic communications
>> are unsure.
>>
>> On Apr 10, 2010, at 3:59 PM, Reva Reck wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the
>> member's area.
>> ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>
>>
>> Those of you who live in western Mass. towns with limited or no
>> broadband should know about an exciting new initiative to bring
>> fiber optic cable to anyone with a landline phone or grid
>> electricity in participating towns. WiredWest will be a
>> municipally controlled, non-taxpayer funded company offering
>> really fast internet, hdTV, and phone services. Over 30 towns
>> have placed articles on their town meeting warrants to join
>> together to create this network.
>>
>> To see if your town is involved, and to learn more about this
>> effort, visit http://wired-west.net/
>>
>> --
>>
>> /Reva Reck/
>>
>> /reva at revareck.com/
>>
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