May 16, 2005

How to Get the Most out of this Website

I created this site to provide a gentle on-ramp to the world of metropolitan wireless, with a goal of getting those interested in this exciting new area to absorb this new world and so enjoy a more rapid learning process. Follow the steps on this page to get the most out of this dynamic, growing educational tool.

Main category sites are marked with a picture - read these first.

I'm adding information as fast as I can, so please be patient as I build this work in process. I focused on the preliminaries first - the Orientation category- so look for the other three areas - Planning, Action, and Leverage, to grow with postings over time.

Categories are designed to mirror the buying process - on purchasing anything, you would first find out more about it, then make some plans, then make a purchase, then learn how to make the most of your purchase, as detailed below:

1) Orient yourself on the new environment, so the Orientation category provides such information as
* a Glossary of wireless terms
* a list of Subject Matter Experts and Weblogs for current information
* a list of reference websites
* a list of books and whitepapers for deeper background
* a Wireless 101 primer on the different technologies available
* business models for a metropolitan wireless network
* a review of the uses of a metropolitan wireless network
* a look at Regulatory and Legislative issues

2) Begin the planning process, with a more focused approach to what the new product or service would look like in your environment...so the Planning category gets more specific, with
* a Planning List of steps to take
* a review of Planning Principles
* a list of Consultants to contact for more detailed advice
* a discussion area on funding sources and strategies

3) Take Action - buy something. What fun is shopping if you don't ever get around to making a purchase? Our hope is that having gained an education and made detailed plans, you will consider it time to move forward and get busy. So, this category will go through the steps on dealing with vendors, system integrators, and consultants.

4) Finally, once you have a network in place, you will want to Leverage your purchase by bringing in more and more applications, getting more people to use the network, and linking your new network with other cities to provide enhanced benefits along the lines of how the Internet hooked togeher local area networks 10-15 years ago.

Posted by MetroMAN at 03:01 PM


May 16, 2005

Cutting the Cord, Going Wireless, One Step at a Time

IF YOU ARE A CITY CIO, IT DIRECTOR, CITY MANAGER OR MAYOR CONSIDERING A METROPOLITIAN WIRLESS BROADBAND NETWORK, THIS SITE IS FOR YOU.

My name is John Cooper and I'm a metropolitan wireless consultant in Austin, Texas. In the past eighteen months, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Chaska, MN; San Mateo, CA and more than 150 others cities have installed municipal wireless broadband networks. These deployments have helped improve safety, create jobs, and lower the cost of broadband. In this site, I've combined my 20-plus years’ experience in telecommunications, electricity, wireless networks, state and local governments and businesses; with knowledge and experience from experts who have deployed these networks, to provide answers to questions about planning, deployment and operation of a municipal-wide broadband network. My hope is that this site helps you get up-to-speed faster, to determine if a metropolitan wireless network is right for your town. Contact me with your suggestions and comments to make this website a more valuable tool.

Happy unwiring!

Sincerely,

John Cooper, aka "MetroMAN" - Metropolitan Wireless Consultant

Posted by MetroMAN at 03:00 PM