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Topic: Neighborhood-wide Internet access on the (relatively) cheap
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Jubal KesslerPerson was signed in when posted  6
07-04-2002 01:20 AM ET (US)
I'd referenced the price list for the Canopy product by Motorola, and the per-component cost of the user-side wireless receiver (not a wireless card, but something like a satellite widget you mount on your roof or windowsill) is $500 -- according to this pricelist.

The extra $30 or so is per-year, per-user software licensing to pay for Motorola's server-side authorization software.

I'm sure you could cobble together something cheaper with enough legwork.
TimmyTPerson was signed in when posted  5
07-03-2002 11:07 PM ET (US)
Um, if it's really WiFi, why would user equipment be $530?
toddboylePerson was signed in when posted  4
07-03-2002 08:11 PM ET (US)
You could see this happening way below Telco broadband fees. If you're paying $60/month that's $720/year. And if you add your telephone line, and certain other data services that could potentially be reduced, the monthly cost is MUCH higher.

$720/year, capitalized at the typical investment alternative of 6% that is the equivalent of a capital investment of $12,000. In other words, a homeowner should be *GLAD* to invest $2000 in a device and antennas, and pay $20/month to an ISP (which has been a fairly steady figure for the ISP side of a broadband connection), if it really provided reliable, megabit Internet access.

Todd Boyle CPA Kirkland WA www.gldialtone.com
Jubal KesslerPerson was signed in when posted  3
07-03-2002 06:36 PM ET (US)
The cost of basic deployment, from a price list I've been given, is:

WiFi server equipment: $17,000 before taxes

User equipment: $530 per, before taxes

So if you wanted to pay for 1,000 users with one tower assembly, you'd need to spend:

$17,000 + (1000 x $530) = $547,000 before taxes

or ~$600 per customer for initial equipment charges. And that doesn't factor in manual installation charges (gotta hire the people to do that) or the cost of the bandwidth itself, and so forth.

The $30,000 figure is good for 30 users. That could make sense for certain types of small-to-medium-sized businesses.

There are many applications for this kinda independent wireless gig .. but the costs are, as ever, still too high for most people.
erniePerson was signed in when posted  2
07-03-2002 06:13 PM ET (US)
RILLY! First they'll hand out wifi cards then pretty soon it's Comrade, have some more BORSCHT!!
Dav ColemanPerson was signed in when posted  1
07-03-2002 04:44 PM ET (US)
Sounds like pinko communism talk to me
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